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The curtain has fallen on the Champions League quarterfinals, with Real Madrid exhausting the Skyblues while the Bavarians expel Mikel Arteta.
Hala Madrid y Nada Mas!
The European giant has struck again! Not favorites for the return leg at the Etihad, Ancelotti’s Casa Blanca secures their ticket to the Champions League semi-finals. Pep Guardiola’s men fought until the end, with Kevin De Bruyne leading Manchester City, but alone, the battle was too tough.
City, timid at the start, found themselves quickly trapped. A ball interception followed by an acceleration from Camavinga created danger, allowing Rodrygo to place the ball in the net despite Ederson’s initial save from a Vinicius Jr. cross. The Brazilians thus gave Real Madrid the advantage (11′).
It was on this action that City decided to react and assault the Madridistas in their half of the field and around the penalty area. Jack Grealish shook the left side of Madrid (33’, 38’), while De Bruyne (25’) failed to break Lunin’s defense. Erling Haaland, well marked and blocked by Rudiger and Nacho, only found the crossbar with a well-placed header (19′). The Norwegian striker disappeared from the match after this action.
It was after the halftime instructions that City came back strongly. From attack to attack, the Citizens were relentless, but Madrid held firm. Under siege, Ancelotti transformed his game into a style similar to Simeone’s. A counter-attacking and defensive game that finally succumbed to the pressure from De Bruyne. On a Doku cross, Rudiger deflected the ball to De Bruyne, who placed an unstoppable shot past Lunin (78′). City is revived, the Etihad rejoices!
End of a Memorable Match
At the end of regular time, with an aggregate score of 4-4, the two giants of the Champions League faced each other in a classic extra-time battle. The only notable action of these additional 30 minutes was Rudiger’s shot narrowly missing the target (105′). Exhausted, both teams settled the contest with a penalty shootout.
In an exciting session, Lunin was the hero of the evening, stopping Bernardo Silva and Kovacic. Real flies into the semi-finals, while the champions already focus on their FA Cup match against Chelsea.
Kimmich Keeps Kane’s Hope Alive
Thomas Tuchel can breathe a sigh of relief as, after three consecutive years, the Bavarians return to the Champions League semi-finals by eliminating the Gunners at the Allianz Arena.
If you’re a fan of strategic matches, this one was for you. With two teams calculating each move of their opponent, the battle could have lasted a long time between athletes mutually fearing each other.
It was at home, on Munich soil, that Arsenal started the match by calmly circulating the ball, seeking an opening in the Bavarian defense. But Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern, exploiting Arsenal’s left flank, finally found the breakthrough thanks to Mazroui and Musiala, testing David Raya for the first time in this match.
The first half was calm, with both teams searching without being truly dangerous. Bukayo Saka, the star of the first leg, was closely watched by Raphael Guerreiro. The scare came from Martinelli, whose shot was saved by Neuer.
“Europapokalsieger! Europapokalsieger! Europapokalsieger FCB!”
Bayern came back in the second half, fiercer than ever, dominating the game. Arsenal endured German assaults and narrowly avoided an own goal from a Gabriel mispass (57′). Six minutes later, on a Sané cross met by Guerreiro, Kimmich scored with a header, giving Bayern the deserved advantage (63′).
The ultras in the Munich Sudkurve then woke up to sing in unison, “Europapokalsieger! Europapokalsieger! Europapokalsieger FCB!” (“Champions of Europe FCB!”)!
Despite several changes, Arteta failed to penetrate the German defense. Tuchel reinforced his defense with Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae. It was on a logical scoreline of 1-0 (3-2 aggregate) that the Bavarians qualified for the semi-finals against the Spanish giant, Real Madrid.
Mark your calendars for April 30th for the continuation of the Champions League journey.
