Karim Benzema scored a brace to help reduce the deficit as Man City produced one of the high-scoring football results of the weekend in the Premier League. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the second minute before Gabriel Jesus doubled their advantage in the 11th minute. Benzema pulled one back in the 33rd minute before Phil Foden restored their two-goal advantage. Vinicius Junior scored in the 55th minute before Bernardo Silva scored in the 74th minute. Benzema made sure that City took just a one-goal lead into the second leg with a penalty in the 82nd minute.
Player ratings:
Man City: Ederson (6), Stones (6), Dias (6), Laporte (5), Zinchenko (6), Rodri (7), De Bruyne (9), Bernardo (8), Mahrez (8), Jesus (7), Foden (8).
Subs: Fernandinho (6), Sterling (6)
Real Madrid: Courtois (5), Carvajal (5), Militao (5), Alaba (5), Mendy (6), Kroos (5), Modric (6), Valverde (6), Rodrygo (6), Vinicius Jr. (7), Benzema (8).
Subs: Nacho (5), Camavinga (6), Ceballos (n/a), Asensio (n/a)
Man of the match: Kevin De Bruyne
Managers Reaction
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola: “It was a fantastic game for both sides. We did many good things. Unfortunately, we conceded goals and we could not score more. We played a fantastic game against an incredible team. The moments where they rise and come back into the game in the first half I think we gave them as our build-up was so nervous. Normally we are so safe and so good.”
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti: “As a supporter of football it was a fantastic game. As manager of Real Madrid, I think I have to take into consideration we scored three goals and that was really important, but we didn’t defend so well. We conceded two goals so early in the game and then we were able to react really well. We kept the game open until the end and of course, now we have a great dream to play the second game in the Bernabeu and have the chance to go to the final.”
For more football results, click here
