Manchester City 2, Real Madrid 1 (Champions League Round of 16, Manchester City win 4-2 on aggregate)
Two mistakes by Raphael Varane allowed Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to score the goals that put Manchester City into the quarter finals of the Champions League at the expense of Real Madrid who lost a knock-out tie with boss Zinedine Zidane in charge for the first time in four seasons.
Embed from Getty ImagesSterling became the sixth different English player to hit 20 Champions League goals as he scored his 100th goal for Manchester City – his 31st goal of the season after Jesus forced a mistake from Varane.
And City missed several chances to put the game out of sight before sloppy defending allowed Rodrygo to find Karim Benzema for an equalising header as Real refused to be ruled out of a comeback.
Hard-working City controlled a tense second half and created chances from Real’s mistakes to score before Jesus capitalised on another Varane error to put City back into the lead.
Real needed two more goals to win the tie but City were in no mood to let the game slip again as the visitors wilted in the Manchester heat.
City will now go to Lisbon in the quarter final tournament to take on Lyon who managed to hang on for victory on away goals in their tie against Juventus.
“We were brilliant tonight.” said Sterling after the game.
The England winger summed up City’s desire to make sure of the result against Real by adding: “The most important thing today was who ran the most and who put the most yards in.
“Energy, passion, [the Champions League] is a competition we want to do well in. If we run our socks off the result will follow.
“With our pressing we got two goals from it.”
“We beat a top team in Real Madrid.” agreed Jesus, who added that the intense pressing game that City utilised came off for them: “It’s all about belief in their mistakes.”
“I work every day to be a good striker like Ronaldo was. I was happy I could score.”
And manager Pep Guardiola declared that he wanted to see tonight’s high pressing performance more often from his side.
“You have seen this team for the last four years, that’s the plan. Against good teams [like Liverpool at Anfield] its more difficult.
“We knew we would suffer.” admitted Guardiola, who added: “I spoke with the scouting department who said we have to be alert. We have 7-8 days to prepare for Lyon.
“The players made an incredible effort – all of them – but if we think that’s enough we will show how small a team we are. We have to beat the biggest clubs.”
“When you play against Real Madrid you realise how good they are.
“We created a lot of chances and scored two goals with mistakes from them.
“We suffered with the humidity but we had to convince the players to keep going and attack.
Visitors Real were without out of favour Gareth Bale, who stayed in Madrid, and their suspended captain Sergio Ramos, who did travel with the squad to lend his leadership in the dressing room. Eden Hazard named in the starting line-up.
City made four changes from the side that beat Real in February. Nicolas Otamendi, Benjamin Mendy (suspended), Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez were replaced by Fernandinho, Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden, and Raheem Sterling.
Eric Garcia, who Pep Guardiola yesterday declared would not be signing a new deal, was also left on the bench despite a good Premier League restart campaign alongside David Silva who was in the squad for his last game at the Etihad Stadium.
And City got off to a flying start when their hard working forwards, including Foden in the false 9 role, forced an early mistake from Real.
Raheem Sterling had a tap in to open the scoring after nine minutes after Gabriel Jesus nicked the ball off Varane and cut the ball back to Sterling who made no mistake from 9 yards out to score his 100th City goal.
Foden and Ilkay Gundogan had shots blocked as City quickly tried to make it 2-0 shortly afterwards, while Sterling almost hassled Eder Militao into an error and lashed a ball onto the roof of the net as Real struggled to cope with City’s early tempo.
Sterling couldn’t find a way past Casemiro after Foden slid him through but Real were not without threat at Ederson saved from Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard.
Karim Benzema goal puts Champions League tie on knife edge
After 28 minutes Benzema hit his 27th of the season with a header after a give and go with Rodrygo who beat Cancelo to the touchline and chipped up a great cutback that was converted by the Frenchman to level the game.
Cancelo forced a save out of Thibaut Courtois who was bailed out by Militao as the loose ball fell invitingly for City players.
Courtois’ poor clearance was seized by Kevin De Bruyne who slipped Foden in but the youngster’s shot flew just wide.
Benzema was clearly offside when he tried to convert another ball into the area from the right which Ederson fell on gratefully.
Sterling’s lashed shot after the restart won City a corner after De Bruyne found him from midfield with the home side capitalising on possession.
And if Foden’s ball through to Sterling had been better then Courtois wouldn’t have been able to come off his line to snatch up the ball.
De Bruyne’s cross was also too far ahead of Gundogan as City built up a head of steam in the second half.
Real still had chances to score, with Benzema shooting wide and testing Ederson when chances came his way.
Jesus’ turn and shot was tipped over by Courtois after De Bruyne and Gundogan combined to slip the Brazilian in.
Gabriel Jesus forces a second mistake from Raphael Varane to put Manchester City ahead again on the night
And Jesus soon capitalised on another mistake by Varane to dink in City’s second goal in the 68th minute after Rodri’s long ball up was headed back towards Courtois by the Frenchman who was clearly missing the calming influence of captain Sergio Ramos alongside him.
Courtois was caught in two minds before Jesus nipped in and chipped the loose ball over the Spanish ‘keeper and into the unguarded net for his 23rd goal of the season.
Modric was denied by Ederson as Real had to attack while Bernardo Silva opted to shoot rather than lay off to De Bruyne and saw his effort blocked while Walker’s low shot was palmed away by Courtois after Sterling appeared to have been fouled in the area after going past Dani Carvajal.
David Silva made his 444th appearance for City, and final one at the Etihad, as Sterling got a rest and he sent a free kick just over the bar as City closed out the game comfortably after Zinedine Zindane threw on three attacking subs in Lucas Vazquez, Federico Valverde, and Luka Jovic.
It was a fully deserved win for City over a Real side who lost both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since 2008/09, with Varane the first Real player to commit two errors leading to goals in a single Champions League game since at at least the 2007/08 season.
GOALS – Manchester City 2, Real Madrid 1 (Champions League Round of 16, Manchester City win 4-2 on aggregate)
Man City 1, Real Madrid 0: 9. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring from 9 yards after Gabriel Jesus robbed Raphael Varane as he dawdled on the ball and cut it back for the England winger to score.
Man City 1, Real Madrid 1: 28. Karim Benzema beat Ederson with a close range header after he met Rodrygo’s chipped cut back from the touchline.
Man City 2, Real Madrid 0: 68. Gabriel Jesus chipped an undercooked back pass by Raphael Varane over Thibaut Courtois after the goalkeeper was slow to come off his line.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 2, Real Madrid 1 (Champions League Round of 16, Manchester City win 4-2 on aggregate)
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Cancelo, De Bruyne, Rodri (Otamendi 89), Gundogan, Foden (Bernardo Silva 67), Jesus, Sterling (David Silva 81)
Man City Subs not used: Bravo, Stones, Zinchenko, Mahrez, Garcia, Doyle, Harwood-Bellis, Palmer, Bernabe
Goals: Sterling 9; Jesus 68
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal (Lucas Vazquez 83), Militao, Varane, Mendy, Kroos, Modric (Valverde 83), Casemiro, Hazard (Jovic 83), Rodrygo (Asensio 61), Benzema
Real Madrid Subs not used: Areola, Altube, Nacho, Marcelo, Diaz, Isco, Vinicius Jr, Hernandez
Booked: Modric (foul on Kevin De Bruyne 81)
Goal: Benzema 28
Referee: Felix Brych