Real Madrid – Man City, the match of the year 2024

Real Madrid – Man City, the match of the year 2024
Real Madrid – Man City, the match of the year 2024

Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Tuesday December 31, 2024 at 11:15 p.m.

On April 9, 2024, the future champions of Spain and England delivered a real recital of a very high level.

Having become a new classic of the Champions League, the opposition between Real Madrid and Manchester City gave birth last season to yet another gala match in the quarter-final first leg, an exceptional 3-3 at Santiago-Bernabéu. From the second minute, it was the Citizens who opened the scoring thanks to a direct free kick from Bernardo Silva. We then imagine the Madrilenians overwhelmed, but for the umpteenth time they get back up without us really understanding how. And quickly, thanks to a shot from Eduardo Camavinga deflected by Ruben Dias who scores against his side (1-1, 12th).

Ancelotti: “A fair result between two fantastic teams”

And in one of these improbable collective frenzies of which only Real has the secret, Rodrygo doubles the stakes almost immediately by starting from his own camp (2-1, 14th). In turn, the Citizens completely reversed the situation in the second half, Phil Foden (2-2, 66th) and Josko Gvardiol (2-3, 71st) making the Madrid nets shake with two cannon shots fired from outside the surface. But Federico Valverde equalizes one last time at 3-3, with a volley, after a tumble from Vinicius Jr. on the left side. A week later, Real qualified on penalties (1-1) then flew to their fifteenth continental crown (2-0 in the final against Dortmund).

But when it comes time to take stock, it is this quarter-final first leg that remains in the memories as the most magical evening in strict terms of spectacle, “a fair result between two fantastic teams” as Carlo Ancelotti summed up then: “We could have won because we had the opportunity to make it 3-1, but we could have lost too. We had the guts to come back in this match.” Pep Guardiola was just as proud: “We controlled the game very well, whereas it's impossible to control everything against Real, especially at the Bernabéu which is a special stadium. At 3-2, we think the match is almost finished, but it's never over. It's very strong to score three goals in this stadium. But not enough.

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