Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal between Manchester City and Real Madrid couldn’t be settled in regulation or two periods of extra time.
So the past two Champions League champions settled things in a penalty shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw. There Real Madrid scored a 4-3 shootout victory to stun the reigning Champions League victors. Madrid advances to the semifinal round to face Bayern Munich, which topped Arsenal in Wednesday’s other quarterfinal.
The victory avenges a 4-0 loss to Man City in the second leg of last year’s Champions League semifinal. It also quashes Manchester City’s bid for an unprecedented second consecutive treble.
Man City and Real Madrid entered Wednesday’s second leg of the quarterfinal tied after a 3-3 draw in the first leg last week in Madrid. It took less than 12 minutes on Wednesday for Real Madrid to stun the home crowd in Manchester.
At the 11:40 mark, Vinícius Júnior, took a pass down the right side of the box from Valverde then delivered a cross to Rodrygo in front of the goal. Man City goalkeeper Ederson rejected Rodrygo’s first effort. But Rodrygo was there for the rebound and sent his second shot to the back of the net.
Just minutes later, Man City came excruciatingly close to an equalizer. Bernardo Silva headed a rebound from the right side of the box in front of the goal. Erling Haaland was there waiting and sent a header toward the top of the goal.
The ball glanced off the crossbar back to the field directly in front of Silva. But it bounced of Silva’s knees and out of bounds wide of the goal.
The disappointment was evident across the faces of Man City players and coaches. The game went into halftime with Real Madrid leading, 1-0.
But relentless Man City pressure ultimately broke through. Virtually the entirety of the second half played out in front of Real Madrid’s goal as Man City dominated time of possession. At the 75-minute mark that pressure paid off.
Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger rejected a cross in front of the goal. But the ball bounced directly in front of Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who took advantage. He sent the ball over the hands of goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to the top of the net to get Man City on the board and tie the game at 1-1.
Neither team would score again in regulation. Two 15-minute periods of extra time also passed without a goal, sending the fate of the Champions League quarterfinals to penalty kicks.
Bayern Munich edges Arsenal in other quarterfinal
In the other quarterfinal Wednesday, Bayern Munich advanced past Arsenal with a 1-0 victory. The two sides entered Wednesday tied in the aggregate score after a 2-2 draw in the first leg in London last week.
Munich needed just one goal on Tuesday to secure victory and send its home crowd into a frenzy.
Defense dominated early as the game went into halftime in a scoreless tie with just a single shot on goal by either side. At the 63-minute mark, Bayern Munich finally broke through.
Raphaël Guerreiro sent a cross down the baseline from just outside the left side of the box. Joshua Kimmich was waiting in front of the goal and headed a laser past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper David Raya into the back of the net.
Arsenal would get three shots on goal for the day, but none of them found the net. When the final whistle sounded, the party started in the Allianz Arena stands.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will now face off with a spot in the Champions League Final at stake. The winner will take on the victor between Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund in the other semifinal.
