MADRID: Three goals in the first 14 minutes. Back-and-forth attacking. Stunning second-half strikes.
It was an instant classic between the newest Champions League rivals, with Real Madrid and Manchester City drawing 3-3 in a frantic first leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
“I imagine the fans enjoyed a game like this, with six goals,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “Both teams wanted to attack, doing it in different ways, a bit out of control.”
Federico Valverde scored a 79th-minute equalizer for Madrid after City had rallied with Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scoring goals five minutes apart midway through the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Bernardo Silva had put City ahead two minutes into the match, but Madrid rallied with an own-goal by City defender Rúben Dias in the 12th and a score by forward Rodrygo in the 14th.
“We wanted to take at least a small advantage, but in the end we are satisfied because we competed well and gave our best,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “If we do the same in the return match, we can come away victorious.”
The second leg will be next Wednesday in Manchester.
It is the third consecutive encounter between the clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Madrid eliminated City in the semifinals in 2022, while City got the best of Madrid at the same stage last year. Both teams went on to win the title after eliminating their rivals.
The match at the Bernabeu went on as scheduled despite of a possible terror threat by the Daesh, with no security incidents being immediately reported.
In the other first-leg quarterfinal Tuesday, Arsenal and Bayern Munich drew 2-2 in London.
City struck early when Silva sneaked in a low free-kick shot that went past the wall and caught Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin off guard by the near post.
Madrid equalized after a shot from outside the area by Eduardo Camavinga deflected off Dias to wrong-foot City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Rodrygo put Madrid ahead after breaking through the City defense to get to a pass by Brazil teammate Vinícius Júnior in front of the area. Rodrygo’s shot deflected off a defender’s leg and slowly rolled past Ortega and into the net.
Foden evened the match again with a superb shot into the top corner in the 66th to make it 2-2, then five minutes later Gvardiol put the visitors ahead again with a powerful strike into the far corner.
Valverde’s equalizer came with a neat low volley from inside the area.
“We played exceptionally well in the second half until the final 10 or 12 minutes, but in the end we know that for Madrid the match is never over,” Guardiola said.
The result extended Madrid’s 28-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, as well as City’s 26-match unbeaten run across all tournaments. Defending champion City is unbeaten in 22 straight games in the Champions League.
Guardiola had to cope with the last-minute absence of playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian international who was ill and had to be dropped from the starting lineup. De Bruyne vomited after the team arrived at the Bernabeu, though he warmed up with the substitutes before the match and started on the bench.
Guardiola, who complained about the field conditions at the Bernabeu, was also without captain and first-choice right back Kyle Walker because of an injury, though Gvardiol, who had been listed as doubtful, started in the left-back position and ended up scoring a decisive goal.
Madrid had eight full days to prepare for the match as there were no Spanish league matches this weekend. City had only two full days to get ready after playing in the Premier League on Saturday.
Ancelotti made his record-extending 200th appearance as a coach in the Champions League. He also is the coach with the most titles (four) and victories (114). It was his 59th game as Madrid coach in the European competition.
Ancelotti made a change in attack, with Vinícius and Rodrygo switching sides to try to trouble the City defense and it worked in the second Madrid goal.
Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger did well containing Erling Haaland again, as he had done in the 1-1 draw in the first leg between the clubs last season. City went on to win 4-0 in the return game at home.
Real Madrid and Man City draw 3-3 in frantic 1st leg of Champions League quarterfinals at Bernabeu
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Real Madrid and Man City draw 3-3 in frantic 1st leg of Champions League quarterfinals at Bernabeu
- It is the third consecutive encounter between the clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League
Kane double fires Bayern into Champions League last 16
- The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in three second-half minutes as Bayern Munich saw off Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Bayern joined Arsenal in sealing a top-eight finish in the 36-team table with a game to spare, avoiding a potential two-legged knockout play-off round.
The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week.
Kane headed in from a corner before winning and converting a penalty to put the hosts firmly in control.
The England captain had a chance for a hat-trick but missed a late spot-kick, after Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
“Coming back into the second half we wanted to show more intensity and I think we did that,” Kane told DAZN.
“We scored at the right times, were a bit unlucky with the red card but even after that when we went down to 10 men we controlled the game well and earned the three points.”
Bayern’s Champions League defeat at Arsenal remains their only loss in all competitions this season, in which they have also already opened up an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga.
Kane’s second goal was his 34th of the campaign, bringing Bayern’s total tally to 103 strikes from 29 games.
Bayern were sluggish in the opening half, perhaps unsettled by the absence of their 9,300-strong ultra contingent, with the lower stand closed due to a UEFA sanction for setting off pyrotechnics.
“We’re used to that from the Covid period, of course, but fundamentally we always want the fans there in a sold-out stadium — unfortunately it wasn’t possible today,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told DAZN.
The best chance of the opening half fell to Belgian champions Union SG.
With half an hour played, an unmarked Promise David got away from the Bayern defense and had just Neuer to beat, but headed his effort directly at the goalkeeper.
Bayern needed a set-piece to break the deadlock with 52 minutes gone.
Michael Olize lofted the ball into the six-yard area and Kane found space at the near post to head his side in front.
One minute later, Kane was felled by Union ‘keeper Kjell Scherpen and stepped up to double Bayern’s lead.
Kim, handed a rare start with Dayot Upamecano out sick, was sent off in the 63rd minute, picking up a second yellow for yanking Raul Florucz’s arm as the winger went on the attack.
But the red card did not disrupt Bayern’s flow.
Kane uncharacteristically blasted a penalty against the bar with 10 minutes left, while Olize chipped another opportunity over with just Scherpen to beat.
