Real Madrid beat Man City to reach Champions League semi-finals

Holders Manchester City were knocked out of the Champions League after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

After a 1-1 draw on the night that left the teams tied 4-4 on aggregate, Antonio Rudiger scored the winning spot-kick after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic had their attempts saved to see the 14-time winners progress 4-3 in the shoot-out.

Rodrygo had given Carlo Ancelotti’s side the advantage on the night and in the tie with an early goal on the counter-attack but Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser took the game into extra-time, in which neither heavyweight could deliver the knockout blow.

It was a backs-to-the-wall effort by Madrid and Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions were applauded from the pitch even in defeat. But their hopes of an unprecedented second successive treble are over.

Madrid will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals after the German giants beat Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate.

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City had not lost at home in the Champions League since 2018 but the holders were held at bay by a heroic defensive effort by the 14-time European champions despite having 34 attempts on goal.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola said: “First of all, congratulations to Real Madrid.

“We did everything, I don’t have any regrets. Always, you try as a manager to create more and concede less. There were one, two or three transitions but that is normal. We played exceptional in all departments. Unfortunately, we could not win. That is how it is.

“Today, they defended deeper than the previous seasons. We created chances. But football is about scoring goals. From the penalty spot, they did it a bit better than us. Sometimes you win with penalties, sometimes not. The way we played, we should have done it before.”

Guardiola added that the decision to substitute Erling Haaland, De Bruyne, and Manuel Akanji came following requests from the players.

“Erling and Kevin asked me to come out. They could not continue. Same as Manu,” he said.

The Star