Manchester City and Real Madrid will resume fighting in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night at the Etihad Stadium, following two moments of individual brilliance at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After playing to a 1-1 tie in Madrid, the clubs will meet again at the Etihad, with just one having a chance to finish the 2022–23 season as league winners and European champions.
At the Bernabeu on Tuesday, Vinicius Junior set the standard, and Kevin De Bruyne raised it even further for Man City and Real Madrid in their Champions League opener after Carlo Ancelotti's team undid the Citizens' earlier hard work via a Vinicius rocket.
The holders scored first despite Man City's better chances of scoring, but just as it looked like they would go on to win comfortably, De Bruyne scored with a scorching strike, using outrageous technique to pick out the bottom corner, and ensuring that Pep Guardiola's side would take a draw back to their headquarters.
Man City's triple contenders, who will undoubtedly enter Wednesday's second leg as favorites, have avoided a Bernabeu hammering by dispatching Everton in a Premier League match that could have been a trap.
With two goals and an assist from the red-hot Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City are now within striking distance of the Premier League title; if they can beat a lackluster Chelsea next weekend, they will have won the league for the first time since 2012; however, Guardiola's men cannot let their sights drift to domestic success as they attempt to upset the European apple cart.
With a 22-game winning streak on the line, Man City will look to keep their home field advantage in the Champions League intact in the second leg on Wednesday. They have won their last 15 home matches in all competitions at the Etihad Stadium, scoring twice in 14 of those games.
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Streaks and records mean nothing to a side that has won 14 European Cups, though, and Real Madrid have extra motivation to ruin Man City's continental record this week after taking the La Liga championship from them.
Los Blancos did what they could to postpone Barcelona's coronation, defeating Getafe 1-0 with a much-changed lineup courtesy to a goal from Marco Asensio from 20 yards out, but La Blaugrana's derby win against Espanyol on Sunday evening sealed Barca's place as La Liga's top dogs.
Even though Ancelotti's team has already secured the consolation prize of a Copa del Rey — Getafe presented them with a guard of honor prior to the weekend's game — the shrewd manager will be focused on preserving the team's European pride before a relatively meaningless stretch of games at home.
Real Madrid kept a clean sheet against Getafe to end a run of five games without one. Despite losing their last two away La Liga games against Girona and Real Sociedad, Los Blancos have already beaten Liverpool and Chelsea on their home turf in the 2022-23 Champions League.
In order to avoid forming an unwelcome trifecta with their Big Six rivals, Man City would settle for a repeat of last season's 4-3 Etihad extravaganza, while Real have never won on the Citizens' turf in four previous attempts, and the winner of Wednesday's tantalizing clash of the titans will face either Inter Milan or AC Milan in Istanbul.
We say: Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid (Man City win 4-3 on aggregate)
European experts Real Madrid appeared to be preparing to assault Man City on the counter once again in front of their own fans last week, and to write off Ancelotti's champions in Europe is frequently an act of absolute stupidity.
If the first leg was any indication, goals will be flying in Wednesday's winner-take-all matchup. However, with the free-scoring Man City juggernaut slaying every foe that steps before them at the Etihad - and a greater depth of attacking talent in reserve - Guardiola's men should complete their revenge mission from 2022, punch their ticket to the final, and inch ever closer to that elusive European crown.
