Real Madrid reached the Champions League final in the most dramatic of circumstances, pulling one goal back in the 90th minute, equalising in stoppage time and winning it in extra time. Manchester City were in shock. Here's how it unfolded in the Bernabeu...
Thursday 5 May 2022 14:59, UK
Heading for the Champions League final with just minutes to go in the Bernabeu, Manchester City lost a two-goal lead and were beaten in extra time by Real Madrid.
It came from nowhere.
It was extraordinary.
Real Madrid 0-1 Man City (agg: 3-5)
88: OFF THE LINE!!! How have City not doubled the lead?
Jack Grealish motors down the left and rolls a cross-shot into the middle. Thibaut Courtois is beaten but Ferland Mendy is back on the line to clear. Somehow Phil Foden does not force the ball home from a yard out.
Real Madrid 0-1 Man City (agg: 3-5)
89: GREAT SAVE!! Grealish is toying with them down the left!
He checks past two defenders in the box and drills a low finish that Courtois deflects behind with a brilliant save with his boot. Very unlucky that from Grealish.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Man City (Rodrygo, 90) (agg: 4-5)
90: HANG ON! A NERVY FEW MINUTES REMAIN FOR CITY!
Six minutes to be precise.
City have work to do. A ball gets pumped to the back post where Benzema knocks it back across goal. Rodrygo is quickest to react and forces the ball home!
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Man City (Rodrygo, 90+1) (agg: 5-5)
90+1: I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! HOW?
SIMPLY RIDICULOUS! REAL MADRID HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
Real Madrid are level in the tie. A cross from the right leaves Manchester City all over the shop. Up pops the substitute Rodrygo to head home from close range.
This is another chapter in the Manchester City Champions League failures.
CHANCE! Real Madrid 2-1 Man City (agg: 5-5)
90+3: MADRID HAVE NEARLY WON IT WITH A THIRD GOAL IN FOUR MINUTES!
After failing to land a shot on target in the opening 89 minutes, here's their third in the last four minutes and only a good save from Ederson prevents Rodrygo completing an utterly extraordinary hat-trick!
From the right-hand side of the box, the shot is hard and low but Ederson does enough to palm it away for a corner.
Real Madrid 2-1 Man City (agg: 5-5)
90+4: FODEN SPURNS GREAT CHANCE!
But City still have a chance to win the tie in normal time!
Substitute Fernandinho wins a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside Madrid's box. As the home team begin to argue against the decision, the sharp-thinking Fernandinho takes a quick free-kick to the unmarked Foden. The City forward has time and space but he can't hit the target and his shot flies wide and high.
So onto extra-time...
Real Madrid 2-1 Man City (agg: 5-5)
93: PENALTY TO REAL MADRID!!!! Dias on Benzema.
Camavinga finds Benzema in the box and Dias is just slightly late. There's enough contact for the referee to point to the spot.
Benzema steps up...
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (Benzema, 95) (agg: 6-5)
95: INCREDIBLE... REAL MADRID ARE AHEAD IN THE TIE FOR THE FIRST TIME!!
Benzema stays cool and rolls one into the corner. What has happened to Manchester City?
This is a collapse of epic proportions.
Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (agg: 6-5)
FT: REAL MADRID ARE INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!
Put May 28 firmly in your diary. It's Liverpool vs Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris! Yes, please.
A quite incredible comeback. One of the craziest we've ever seen.
Manchester City were moonwalking into the final with six minutes to go. Grealish then missed two big chances before Rodrygo scored twice to take it to extra time. Benzema then netted from the spot.
A quite astonishing choke from Pep Guardiola's boys.
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti says the "history of this club" inspired his side to produce yet another stunning comeback in the Champions League to reach the final.
The newly-crowned Spanish champions had already overcome Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in what has been a bumpy ride to the final in Paris, where they will play Liverpool on May 28.
"I cannot say we are used to living this kind of life, but what happened tonight it happened against Chelsea and also against PSG," Ancelotti told BT Sport. "If you have to say why, it is the history of this club that helps us to keep going when it seems that we are gone.
"The game was close to finished and we managed to find the last energy we had. We played a good game against a strong rival. When we are able to equalise we had a psychological advantage in extra-time. I have no time to think about this [losing the game]. It was difficult as City had control of the game but the last opportunity we were able to go to extra-time.
"I am happy to be there in the final, in Paris against another great rival. We are used to it. It will be a fantastic game for football."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola felt his side struggled to reach their level in the Bernabeu, but was unable to explain their capitulation against Real Madrid, simply saying: "Football is unpredictable".
It is yet another hammer blow for City as their search for a first Champions League trophy goes on.
"We were close," Guardiola told BT Sport. "We were close. But in the end we could not reach it.
"It is simple. In the first half we did not have game, we were not good enough. But we did not suffer much. After we scored the goal we were better. We found our tempo and our game and the players were comfortable. It is not like in the last 10 minutes they attack and attack and you suffer. It didn't happen. They put a lot of players in the box, with Militao, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Benzema and they put in crosses and scored two goals.
"We didn't play our best, but it is normal, a semi-final, the players feel the pressure and wanting to do it. Football is unpredictable, it is a game like this. We have to accept it.
"Now we need to process that and come back, with our people at home and the last four games we have."
