Screamers galore as Man City draw six-goal thriller in Madrid

Real Madrid and Manchester City traded stunners in a thrilling UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg which ended 3-3.

City had made the perfect start, with Bernardo Silva scoring inside two minutes when he caught out the hosts’ goalkeeper Andriy Lunin by shooting from a long-range free kick when a cross was anticipated.

Yet Madrid responded with two goals in two minutes – first a Eduardo Camavinga shot took a wicked deflection off Ruben Dias to find the net, then a brilliant second as Vinicius Junior teed up Rodrygo down their left – to claim a half-time lead.

Pep Guardiola’s tweaks gave City more control in the second half and two brilliant strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol gave them a 3-2 advantage. Both goals came from outside the box, which belies the pressure the visitors were applying.

However, Madrid are a tough beast to kill and Federico Valverde’s vicious volley created a late equaliser out of nothing and ensured the teams are level heading into next week’s second leg in Manchester.

Real have completed some improbable comebacks in this competition in recent seasons and went back to the well tonight. The manner in which they flipped the tie on its head, with two goals 114 seconds apart, was classic Madrid. So too Valverde’s late goal out of nothing to keep the tie alive.

They seem to have an innate ability to capitalise on momentum swings like no other team does at this level, plus an uncanny capacity to weather both opposition pressure and their own missteps. Perhaps that should be attributed to their collective self-belief and this game was a demonstration of why they have that self-belief.

There’s no doubt Man City hold the advantage, especially with memories of the 4-0 drubbing they gave Real on their own patch last season still fresh in both sides’ minds. But Madrid are still very much in a tie they could easily be out of, and we have seen this movie before. You feel Guardiola will rue his team twice letting control and a lead slip, despite the end result still favouring City.

His movement and incisive running gave City problems as long as he was on the pitch. Took his goal well – albeit with some help from a deflection – and set up what was maybe the hosts’ best chance, which Vinicius wasted.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Madrid looked less threatening with Rodrygo off the pitch. Until they scored out of the blue in trademark Madrid fashion, admittedly.

Real Madrid: Lunin 5, Carvajal 5, Rudiger 7, Tchouameni 6, Mendy 7, Camavinga 7, Kroos 5, Valverde 7, Bellingham 6, Vinicius 6, Rodrygo 8. Subs: Alvarez n/a.

Manchester City: Ortega 6, Akanji 6, Stones 8, Dias 6, Gvardiol 7, Rodri 6, Silva 7, Kovacic 5, Foden 7, Grealish 7, Haaland 5. Subs: Modric 6, Diaz 5, Joelu n/a.

GOAL! REAL MADRID 0-1 MAN CITY (SILVA) 2′ – Lunin is expecting a cross from a free kick 40 yards out, but Silva goes for goal and catches Lunin out at the near post! He gets a hand on the ball but cannot keep it out – what a start for City!

GOAL! REAL MADRID 1-1 MAN CITY (DIAS OG) 12′ – Real’s most patient passage of play leads to an equaliser, via a huge slice of luck. Camavinga dribbles in from the right, lines ups a long-range shot and it takes a deflection off Dias, wrongfooting a helpless Ortega.

GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-1 MAN CITY (RODRYGO) 14′ – What a turnaround! Vinicius releases Rodrygo on the left with a brilliant through ball. Akanji catches up with the Brazilian, who pauses but then pokes a shot past Ortega – helped by a deflection – and into the net.

CHANCE! 56′ – Vinicius has a massive opening after Rodrygo sucks in defenders and then slips his compatriot through, but from inside the box Vinicius shoots over left-footed. Cutting onto his right foot might have been the better play here.

GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-2 MAN CITY (FODEN) 66′ – Stunning from Foden! Stones roles him the ball, at the top of the D, and Foden arrows a shot into the top corner. City equalise in style.

GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-3 MAN CITY (GVARDIOL) 71′ – Another stunner! Grealish squares up Carvajal, dribbles towards goal and then cuts the ball back to Gvardiol. His first touch is poor, so he shoots with the second and curls a beauty into the far corner.

GOAL! REAL MADRID 3-3 MAN CITY (VALVERDE) 79′– Madrid score out of nothing! Vincius’ cross comes to Valverde at the top of the box and he produces a glorious volley to score. Brilliant technique, striking down, and Ortega never moves.