The fixtures between these two sides have become quite common in recent years with fans witnessing several eye-catching games.
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Defending champions Manchester City are out of the Champions League after suffering a shootout heartbreak against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. When the draw was made, there were some interesting fixtures in the last-8 stage but the one that caught the eye was the clash between these two teams. Real Madrid are the most successful club in the competition’s history by winning it 14 times, while Man City have become a force to be reckoned with over the last decade.
The fixtures between these two sides have become quite common in recent years with fans witnessing several eye-catching games. Just last year, Manchester City got the better of Real Madrid on their way to win the Champions League crown. Fast forward a year and Real have got their revenge. It all started with both sides playing an entertaining 3-3 draw at Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg.
With no away-goal rule, the stage was set for a perfect second leg. Real Madrid took the lead through Rodrygo early in the game. However, Man City hit back deep into the second half through Kevin De Bruyne following a sustained spell of pressure. With no more goals to come, the tightly fought contest entered the extra-time and subsequently a penalty shootout. City missed two of their kicks, allowing Madrid to win the shootout 4-3. After the game, Pep Guardiola stated that his side gave their all in this eagerly-anticipated fixture.
“Congratulations to Real Madrid – they defended so deep with incredible solidarity. We did everything. I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. Always as managers we try to create more and concede less in every single game because that helps to win. We did everything, defensively and offensively. They made a good goal. There were two, three, four transitions but it is normal at that level with the quality they have. We played exceptionally in all departments. Unfortunately, we could not win. It is what it is,” Guardiola, quoted on the club’s website, said after the match.
He added: “Two years ago we won 4-3 we played outstanding and last season as well. They defended deeper than previous seasons and we create the chances to do it but football is about scoring goals. They did it better than us. I have the duty to say thank you to my players for the way they played but this is about results. They will be in the semi-finals, we will not. The performance and commitment was exceptional.”
The Man City manager believes his side should have won the game even before the shootout, considering the number of chances they created throughout the game. “It is what it is, sometimes you win penalties, sometimes not. The way we played, we should have done it before. We did not convert the chances we had and we defended the transition really well. Everyone was at a high level. To beat Real Madrid, we had to perform our best. We were our best but it was not enough,” he explained.
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