Manchester City's quest for a treble remains alive as Kevin de Bruyne's stunning goal secured a draw against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. The result means that City only needs to win the second leg at home next week to reach the final for the second time in their history. The winner of this tie will face either Inter Milan or AC Milan in the final.
Both teams capitalising against the run of play
City started the game brightly and dominated the early stages, creating several chances. However, Real Madrid's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, made some crucial saves to keep City at bay. Against the run of play, Vinicius Jr scored for Real Madrid with a powerful 25-yard strike after a brilliant run from Eduardo Camavinga.
In the second half, Real Madrid started to take control of the game, but Kevin de Bruyne had other ideas. He scored an exceptional goal from a similar distance to Vinicius Jr's strike, firing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Ederson, City's goalkeeper, made a crucial save from Aurelien Tchouameni's long-range effort to keep the scores level.
Manchester City quest for immortality
Manchester City is currently unbeaten in their last 21 games in all competitions, winning 17 of them. If they can win their remaining seven games, they will achieve an incredible treble. Despite this scenario, manager Pep Guardiola remains cautious and will not let his players get carried away with the prospect of winning a treble.
Currently, City is leading the Premier League and will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final in June. Before the game against Real, there was talk of revenge after the Spanish team beat City in this stage of the competition last season. However, City looks more mature and almost unbeatable this time around. The game was tense and heated, but lacked the chaos of last season's first leg, which ended 4-3.
Guardiola seems to have found his best team, and they played this game as if they were at home, with Real supporters booing their relentless possession. Thibaut Courtois had to make four saves in the opening 16 minutes alone. Despite dominating the game, City trailed to a goal from Vinicius Jr, who also scored against them last year. However, City's heads did not drop, and they continued their unbeaten run thanks to Kevin de Bruyne's superb strike.
De Bruyne's goal was historic, as he became the first player in Champions League history to score in separate away games against Real in the knockout stages.
Seasoned Gladiators
On the other hand, Real Madrid is looking to extend their record of 14 European crowns and will need to win at the Etihad Stadium next week to keep their hopes alive. Los Blancos are a different gravy in the Champions League, having won the competition 14 times.
Madrid have a reputation for thriving in the Champions League, particularly against English clubs, and have advanced to the knockout rounds for six consecutive seasons against City, Chelsea, or Liverpool, progressing from the other five.
