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Manchester City beat Real Madrid 4-3 in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League on April 26, 2022. The English club, which could have won more widely, will have to hold the clash in Spain on April 4. may.
The 55,000 spectators at the Etihad Stadium experienced a great evening of football on April 26, 2022. The first leg semi-final between Manchester City and Real Madrid did indeed honor this prestigious competition that is the Champions League ( C1).
Several failures of Riyad Mahrez
However, it has not always been to the taste of Pep Guardiola, the coach of the English club. And for good reason: his team could have won much more than by 4-3. The Spanish coach at times let his anger burst, especially on a powerful but off-target shot from winger Riyad Mahrez who forgot his teammate Phil Foden (26th).
Frank opportunities, Mahrez and Foden have also had many others. In the 29th minute, the small English winger missed the target with a cross shot. In the 48th minute, Mahrez managed to break through on the right, spin towards the axis and roll up a shot. But the right post returned the ball to Foden whose instantaneous recovery was repelled by opposing defender Dani Carvajal. In the 76th, the Algerian still sneaked on the right but crossed his attempt too much.
A double for Karim Benzema, a feat for Vinicius
As a symbol, five minutes later (82nd), the striker and captain of Real Karim Benzema reduced the score to 4-3 from the penalty spot (for lack of hands from defender Aymeric Laporte), with a very cheeky panenka… His 14th achievement in C1, this season!
In the 33rd minute, the Frenchman had already sanctioned the lack of English realism. On a cross from the French left side Ferland Mendy, Benzema had thus beaten the Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and took the volley ball (2-1).
The Citizens’ defense was also naïve in the 55th minute when winger Vinicius deflected compatriot Gabriel Jesus with a body feint and raced towards goal. Too fast for French defender Aymeric Laporte, the Brazilian also reduced the mark (3-2).
Two quick goals for Manchester City
Just before, Foden had finally found the fault, with a stung header, thanks to a good cross from Gabriel Jesus (3-1, 52nd).
The Skyblues thus constantly raced in the lead, the Belgian Kevin De Bruyne opening the scoring in the 2nd minute with a diving header (1-0) and Gabriel Jesus doubling the lead with a curled shot (2-0, 11th ).
The story could even have ended badly for Manchester City without a Madrid error and a feat by Bernardo Silva in the 73rd minute. Following a gross foul by German midfielder Toni Kroos on Zinchenko, Madrid stopped playing, convinced that referee István Kovács was going to whistle a free kick. But Bernardo Silva continued to play and lodged a sublime strike under the crossbar. A goal that allows Guardiola and his players to enter the semi-final return, scheduled for May 4, with a small lead.
