Real Madrid have qualified for the UEFA Chanpions League semi-finals after a 4-3 win over Man City (a 4-4 draw after two games). This was a somewhat surprising result because Man City were rated higher and they were also the team that played better in the 2 matches.
Sharing with Movistar, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "The only way to survive here is to take advantage of your opportunity and then defend well. There is no other way to play against Man City.
Real Madrid were dominated by Man City for most of the 120 minutes. The home team controlled the ball up to 67% of the time, launching 33 shots compared to Real Madrid's 8.
Last season, the Spanish Royal team lost 0-4 to Man City at the Etihad. Therefore, Ancelotti's choice for his students is completely correct. ki ki ki are a gamble, but I believe in the players. They told me that they would win. In the end, everything went well, Ancelotti added.
Real's victory was greatly contributed by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who saved 2 penalty kicks from Kovacic and Bernardo Silva. Lunin was only Real's number 3 goalkeeper, but Thibaut Courtois' injury and Kepa's decline helped him gain confidence.
Im exhausted, its the first game Ive encountered in my career. Thanks to our teammates, who have been running and fighting continuously, we have reached the semi-finals. Real Madrid tried very hard, working hard for 120 minutes on the pitch, Lunin shared.
Meanwhile, captain Nacho admitted that the team's playing style against Man City was different from Real's: "Usually we were the team that pressed the opponent, not the opponent. Real Madrid showed another aspect, that we can defend tightly and excellently. This was truly a magical night.
Jude Bellingham was not named in the scoreboard, but played an important role throughout the match. He was the source of Rodrygo's goal and also successfully converted a penalty kick.
Bellingham shared after the match: I think for most teams, after being equalized by Man City, they will collapse. But we stood strong for 30-40 minutes. The whole team has worked very hard.
In the semi-finals, Real Madrid will meet Bayern Munich. The remaining semi-final will be between PSG and Dortmund.
