Real Madrid always find a way, this time on penalties as they eliminated the defending champions. Analyse the game with our Manchester City vs Real Madrid stats page.
Defending champions Manchester City were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Real Madrid after losing a penalty shootout at the Etihad Stadium.
Goals in each half from Rodrygo and Kevin De Bruyne sent the game to extra-time and then penalties, with Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin the hero as his saves from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic meant that Antonio Rüdiger’s successful penalty sent the 14-time winners of the competition through.
Pep Guardiola’s side enjoyed most of the possession and had more chances, but a typically resolute performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men in this competition earned them the victory.
It ended City’s quest for a second-successive treble as Madrid advanced to face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals following their win against another Premier League giant, Arsenal.
It was a tame start from both teams compared to the blood and thunder of last week’s first leg in Spain, feeling one another out in an act of seemingly equal respect and nervousness.
Unlike their epic game in the Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid struck first as a long ball from the back was brought down sumptuously by Jude Bellingham, before Federico Valverde played Vinícius Júnior down the right channel. He crossed low for his fellow Brazilian Rodrygo, whose first shot was saved but he made no mistake with the rebound.
It was Rodrygo’s 20th goal in the Champions League, becoming the fifth-youngest player to reach that landmark.
City tried to respond right away but Erling Haaland headed over with his first real chance of the contest. The Norwegian hit the crossbar with another header moments later, with the rebound somehow bouncing wide off Silva’s knee.
The hosts were otherwise mostly limited to half chances until the break, with Jack Grealish coming closest when he was sent through by Haaland, only for his near-post effort to be deflected just wide by Rüdiger.
Madrid went in ahead at the break, but that didn’t mean it was time to panic for the defending champions. City hadn’t lost any of their last eight home games across all competitions in which they had conceded the opening goal (W5 D3), with Brentford in November 2022 the last visiting side to score first and win at the Etihad.
However, Real Madrid hadn’t lost any of their last 57 Champions League games in which they had been ahead at half-time (W50 D7), with their last such defeat coming against Galatasaray all the way back in April 2013 (1-0 up at half time, lost 3-2). Something had to give.
Despite what had felt like a cagey first 45 minutes, the expected goals (xG) total of the game at half-time was actually higher than it had been in the entire first leg when six goals were scored (2.06 to 1.45).
City continued to probe and prod in the second half but Madrid were well organised and rarely troubled.
Guardiola brought Jérémy Doku on for Jack Grealish with just under 20 minutes to go in the hope of opening up the visitors, and it had an almost immediate effect as the young Belgian whipped a cross in from the left that Rüdiger made a mess of, presenting De Bruyne with a simple close-range finish to equalise.
No other player has been involved in more goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League since 2003-04 than De Bruyne (8 – 4 goals, 4 assists), and he came within a whisker of scoring again soon after, sending a left-footed effort from the edge of the box just over the bar. Then the former Chelsea man somehow skied over again when presented with a far simpler chance a few minutes after that.
Guardiola’s men had one last chance to win it in 90 minutes but a flicked-on corner could only be nudged over by Haaland at the back post.
The explosive striker was surprisingly taken off before extra-time began, replaced by Julián Álvarez, but it was Madrid who very nearly went ahead just before the extra-time break as a cute ball curving in from the left by substitute Brahim Díaz found Rüdiger but he sent his first-time shot wide. It was the visitors’ first shot in over an hour of play.
Extra-time continued to be largely City’s attack against Madrid’s defence, but it was almost entirely without real chances, so to penalties it went.
Álvarez calmly dispatched the first before two poor efforts from Luka Modric and Silva were saved easily and suggested nerves were playing a part even for two highly experienced heads. Bellingham got Madrid level, before Kovacic had his spot-kick saved by Lunin down to his right.
Lucas Vázquez, Phil Foden, Nacho and Ederson all scored, leaving Rüdiger with the chance to win it, and the defender fired into the bottom corner to dump City out and give Real Madrid another Champions League semi-final to look forward to.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid Stats: Post-Match Facts
- Real Madrid have qualified for the semi-finals of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League for the 33rd time in the club’s history, 12 more times than the club with the next-most semi-final appearances (Bayern Munich, 21).
- Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League for a 10th time, the joint-most of any manager in the competition’s history (level with Pep Guardiola on 10).
- Real Madrid have eliminated the reigning Champions League title-holders six times in knockout ties – at least twice as often as any other side in the competition’s history.
- Manchester City had 88 touches in the opposition box; the most on record in a Champions League match (since 2007-08). Their 33 shots were also the most in a knockout stage game in the competition since Liverpool (34) versus Atlético Madrid in March 2020.
- Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in 24 goals for Man City in the knockout stages of the Champions League (13 goals, 11 assists), the most by a player for an English club in the competition (overtaking Wayne Rooney’s 23 for Manchester United).
- De Bruyne has been directly involved in eight goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League (4 goals, 4 assists); the joint-most of any player, along with Giovane Élber (also 4 goals, 4 assists).
- Rodrygo has scored four goals for Madrid against City, his outright most against a single opponent in all competitions for Los Blancos. The Brazilian was also the first player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout stage tie against City since Karim Benzema in the 2021-22 semi-finals (also for Madrid).
- City midfielder Rodri completed the most passes (142), created the most chances (5), and recovered possession the most times (11) of any player in this game. He also completed more passes in the final third in this match (68) than Real Madrid did as a team (35).
Manchester City vs Real Madrid Stats Centre
Our live Opta match centre delivers you all the Manchester City vs Real Madrid stats from Wednesday’s Champions League game at the Etihad Stadium.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own in-game and post-match analysis.
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