By Sulaimon Jamiu
It took 90 minutes, but Real Madrid proved once again that it was the comeback king of the Champions League.
After orchestrating comebacks against Chelsea and PSG in the Champions League knockout stages, Real put together its most awe-inspiring performance of the year.
Facing a two-goal aggregate deficit in the 90th minute, second-half substitute Rodrygo scored twice in less than two minutes to force extra time. Then, Real left things to its most reliable star. After a hat trick against PSG and four goals in the two legs vs. Chelsea, Karim Benzema once again provided the clinching goal for the newly crowned Spanish champions.
In the seven-goal, first-leg thriller at the Etihad, Man City led throughout but was never able to pull away from Real Madrid. In the second leg, that formula repeated itself, and City’s missed chances decided its fate with only a 73rd-minute goal to show for its effort.
The Bernabéu was rocking from the start, and the home crowd was nearly rewarded in the fifth minute by Benzema. The striker had a clear chance at goal with a header right in front of goal, but his chance soared over the crossbar.
Man City returned with a series of long-range efforts in the first 15 minutes courtesy of Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne, but it was nothing that Thibaut Courtois couldn’t handle.
The start lacked the frenetic energy and disorder of the first leg with neither side able to capitalize on a serious chance. In the 18th minute, Real seemed to have another promising chance in front of goal but Vinícius sent another chance over the bar.
City forced Courtois into a save in the 20th minute when Bernardo Silva’s half-volley came close to extending the English side’s aggregate lead. But the Belgian was there to keep the game scoreless.
While City recorded four shots on goal in the first 40 minutes, Real continued to miss the target. Phil Foden forced Courtois into action once again in the 40th minute with a quick chance right off a long free kick from City’s defensive third, but Courtois remained steady. Vinícius followed with another chance that seemed to have potential inside the penalty area, but Kyle Walker showed his prowess at right back with a quality stop.
Real Madrid will now face Liverpool at the UCL final on the 28th of May, at Paris, France.
