LONDON: Manchester Metropolis have a slender result in defend within the second leg of their Champions League semi-final in opposition to Actual Madrid after successful an exhilarating first leg 4-3 on the Etihad on Tuesday.
The English champions might stay to remorse not killing off the 13-time winners after taking a two-goal lead 3 times.
Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva had been on track for Pep Guardiola’s males, who ought to have scored many extra.
However Karim Benzema’s double and an excellent particular person effort from Vinicius Junior gave Madrid hope of one other well-known Champions League fightback on the Santiago Bernabeu on Might 4.
Guardiola lamented letting Liverpool escape “alive” within the Premier League title race after a 2-2 draw on the Etihad 9 days in the past and could have related regrets after a blistering opening that would have seen Metropolis go 4-0 up inside half an hour.
Madrid had been taking part in of their thirtieth semi-final to Metropolis’s third, however the English giants lived as much as their tag as pre-tie favourites early on.
Solely 92 seconds had handed earlier than the Madrid rearguard was breached by Riyad Mahrez’s fast toes and ideal cross for De Bruyne to stoop and head previous Thibaut Courtois.
Guardiola has usually been criticised for overthinking his crew choice on the enterprise finish of the Champions League.
However his resolution to interrupt from the mould of the previous two seasons and play Jesus as a central striker was impressed because the Brazilian ran the Actual defence ragged.
Jesus pounced to make it 2-0 after simply 10 minutes after David Alaba did not take care of De Bruyne’s cross.
The Spanish champions-elect had been with out Casemiro and his absence confirmed as Metropolis minimize via midfield on the counter-attack at will.
Guardiola was livid with Mahrez after he selfishly smashed into the side-netting with Foden awaiting the cross for a faucet in.
Moments later it was Foden who was responsible of losing an excellent probability when he dragged large one other pinpoint De Bruyne via ball.
Benzema rouses Madrid:
Benzema dragged Madrid again from the useless to see off Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea within the earlier two rounds and once more rose to his aspect’s rescue earlier than half-time.
The Frenchman cushioned in his fortieth purpose of the season off the submit from Ferland Mendy’s cross.
But, Madrid’s good work in steadying the ship in direction of the tip of the primary half was undone in one other sluggish begin after the break.
Mahrez hit the submit when one-on-one with Courtois earlier than Dani Carvajal blocked Foden’s follow-up on the road.
Fernandinho was compelled to deputise at right-back after changing the injured John Stones within the first half.
And the Metropolis captain had a serious position to play in two objectives in two minutes at both finish.
Firstly, he picked out Foden to revive Metropolis’s two-goal lead.
However the 36-year-old confirmed his age as Vinicius sprinted away from his Brazilian compatriot from the midway line earlier than slotting previous Ederson.
Metropolis continued to create possibilities at an alarming price for Carlo Ancelotti but it surely took one thing particular after they did lastly get a fourth.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was fouled on the sting of the realm, however Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs performed benefit and Silva thrashed into the highest nook.
Once more Metropolis did not put the tie to mattress as Mahrez was inches away from discovering the far nook from the narrowest of angles.
However there was a closing twist eight minutes from time when Aymeric Laporte dealt with inside the realm.
Benzema was the good man within the stadium as he chipped the spot-kick down the center to depart the tie on a knife-edge headed again to the Spanish capital.
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