A brilliant drive from Kevin De Bruyne earned Manchester City a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday.
The Belgian slammed the visitors level after Pep Guardiola opened the scoring for the reigning champions from afar in spectacular fashion similar to Vinicius Junior.
Madrid managed to rattle lethal striker Erling Haaland throughout, but De Bruyne’s powerful effort left the tie on a knife edge ahead of the second leg in Manchester next week.
Highlights Real Madrid vs Manchester City UCL Semi Final
The record 14-time winners had knocked City out at the same stage last season despite being outplayed in both games, having taken the lead during the game at the Santiago Bernabéu.
However when Madrid saw their progress in the second half, City – still chasing their maiden Champions League trophy – struck back through De Bruyne.
Guardiola selected Kyle Walker at right-back to counter the pace threat of Real Madrid winger Vinicius, while Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti chose Toni Kroos at the base of midfield.
Rodrigo, who scored two late goals as a substitute against Manchester City last season to pave the way for Madrid to reach the final, started on Saturday after a stellar Copa del Rey performance.
The visitors controlled the first half with almost 70 per cent possession but trailed at the break.
Thibaut Courtois fielded an early barrage of shots from De Bruyne, Rodry and Haaland as City dominated and Madrid sat back, letting the pressure mount.
Guardiola’s side were issued a warning when Vinicius won the ball high up the pitch and crossed for Karim Benzema but Ruben Dias made a brilliant interception.
It was Madrid’s only attack of note after half an hour and even though City were outclassing Courtois, it was the closest either side came, until Vinicius struck.
Madrid took the lead through a deadly counter-attack with Eduardo Camavinga, playing down the left, ripping past Bernardo Silva, ripping into space and feeding Vinicius.
The Brazilian fired into the top left corner from around 25 yards, parrying Ederson’s helpless dive. It was Madrid’s only shot of the first half, but the most effective shot of the game.
– holland irons –
City were troubled by some of Madrid’s defensive aggression, particularly in Dani Carvajal’s efforts to hold down Jack Grealish, which included slamming him into an advertising billboard without punishment.
David Alaba thwarted Haaland with a fine block early in the second half as Madrid kept the Norwegian goal machine under lock and key in his first appearance against them.
Madrid did not allow him a clear sight of the target, ensuring he could not add to his tally of 51 goals in 46 appearances this season in all competitions.
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Madrid’s pressing greatly improved after the break and they pinned City back at times, taking much more of the initiative than they had at the start.
However, with Los Blancos on the rise, City sucker-punched them, as did Madrid to the Premier League leaders in the first half.
De Bruyne slammed the visitors level with a shot from the same range as Vinicius’ opener, at the same end, slotted low past Courtois.
Ederson parried a Benzema header and a vicious Aurélien Tchoumeni effort in the closing stages, but as Guardiola had predicted before the game, the tie would be decided in Manchester.
The second leg takes place on 17 May, with the winner facing either Inter Milan or AC Milan in the final.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)