Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid Main Tal
In what was another Champions League cla sic on Tuesday night, Manchester City managed to pick up a thrilling first
Jahlil Okafor Jersey -leg advantage as they secured an action-packed 4-3 win against Real Madrid.Storming their way to a 2-0 lead in the opening exchanges, Pep Guardiolas side will still be feeling like they mi sed out on a golden chance to widen their buffer as they head out to the Spanish capital in a weeks time.Watching Los Blancos deadly duo spearhead another eye-catching European comeback, it appears that a spot in the final of this seasons Champions League is still firmly hanging in the balance.On a night that quickly turned into a rollercoaster showdown, we have taken a look at the main talking points as Manchester City dragged themselves over the finish line.City disappointed with fourWatching attacking talisman Kevin De Bruyne open the scoring with under two minutes on the clock, Manchester City really couldnt have wished for a better start on Tuesday night.However, despite quickly racing into a 2-0 lead and appearing to be on the verge of putting the first-leg to bed early, there will be a sense of disappointment in Guardiolas camp.Dominating large spells and bagging themselves a brace on either side of the half-time break, the Premier League leaders will be feeling that they should have left with a far greater advantage.Despite getting on the score sheet just minutes after the half-time
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk Jersey break, Phil Foden mi sed a couple of clearcut chances, along with a wasteful Riyad Mahrez.Knowing that they could have got at least seven if they had managed to be a tad more clinical, Guardiola will be hoping that he can get a handful of defensive stars back ahead of their second-leg showdown.Showing some real i sues at the back on Tuesday night and watching John Stones limp off during the first-half, City were also mi sing the likes of Joao Cancelo, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake here.Jesus shows his worth?While Guardiola would have been hugely annoyed to have seen his side ship three strikes at the Etihad, the former Bayern Munich bo s was once again filled with praise for the red-hot Gabriel Jesus.Putting in a stunning display after bagging four goals in Man Citys 5-1 romp against relegation scrappers Watford last weekend, the Brazilian international once again impre sed here.Doubling the Sky Blues lead with just 11 minutes on the clock as he swept home from close range, the 25-year-old appears to be a man with a point to prove in Manchester.With it being reported by last week that Guardiolas side are inching towards a deal for Boru sia Dortmunds Erling Haaland, it appears that Jesus tenure at the Etihad is drawing to a close.Refusing to commit his future to the Premier League heavyweights past this summer, it has even been suggested over the past few days that Arsenal are keen on striking
Ben Wallace Jersey a deal for the 54-cap international.Now racking up five goals in his back-to-back appearances over the past few days, Jesus will be hoping to once again spearhead Citys charge next week.Can anyone stop Benzema?Slumping to an early 2-0 deficit and failing to find any real foothold in proceedings, there is no doubt that Tuesdays traveling support were calling on their record-breaking number nine to spearhead their fightback.While Real Madrid might return to the Bernabu still trailing, Karim Benzema has almost single-handily kept Los Blancos dreams of a double-winning campaign alive and kicking.With many acro s Europe tipping the French international as a leading pick to claim his first Ballon dOr crown this season, the one-time Lyon striker extended on his remarkable purple patch here.Producing a sublime flicked finish acro s Ederson just after the half-hour mark, Benzema once again silenced the Etihad crowd with under 10 minutes to go as his panenka penalty reduced Citys deficit to a single goal.Already racking up 14 Champions League strikes this season, Brazilian starlet Vinicius Junior also deserves an honorable mention for another eye-catching display on Tuesday night.Breezing past first-half substitute Fernandinho and producing a stunning solo strike just after the restart, the 21-year-old netted his 18th strike of the season and has formed a stellar partnership with Benzema.All eyes on the BernabuAlthough Real Madrid might have eventually fallen to a stunning 3-2 defeat at home against Chelsea earlier in the month, Los Blancos will be boosted by their famous comeback at the Bernabu.Eventually finding a way past the now
Louis King Jersey -former European champions thanks to a 5-4 aggregate victory, Ancelottis side will undoubtedly be looking to pick up another heavyweight English scalp next week.However, while the Spanish giants might have done an impre sive job of leaving Manchester chasing just a single strike, the Sky Blues have continued to shine on their travels this season.Looking to reach back-to-back Champions League finals after their heartbreak against Chelsea last season, Guardiolas men have lost just one of their previous 14 straight matchups away from the Etihad, a run that stems all the way back to December 7th.Despite knowing that they should have finished Tuesdays showdown with a more attractive buffer, City will be looking to keep up their recent momentum when they travel to Leeds this weekend.Match Report:Manchester City: Ederson, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Jesus, FodenSubs: Fernandinho, SterlingReal Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, BenzemaSubs: Asensio, Nacho, Camavinga, CeballosGoals: Manchester City: De Bruyne 2, Jesus 11, Foden 53, Silva 74 Real Madrid: Benzema 33 82
Anthony Lamb Jersey (pen), Vinicius Junior 55Yellow Cards: Manchester City: Fernandinho Real Madrid: NachoRed Cards: N/AReferee: Istvn Kovcs