In a thrilling encounter, holders Manchester City and Real Madrid shared six goals in their Champions League quarter-final clash at the Bernabeu.
The match ended with both teams evenly poised for the second leg at Etihad Stadium on 17 April.
Manchester City took the lead in the second minute of the game, with Bernardo Silva scoring a cleverly placed 25-yard free-kick around the wall and past Andriy Lunin.
However, Madrid struck back with two deflected goals. Eduardo Camavinga’s long-range effort hit Ruben Dias and spun into the far corner of Stefan Ortega’s goal before Rodrygo got in behind the City defense and poked home via Manuel Akanji’s heel.
City dominated possession throughout the game but lacked quality in the final third. However, Phil Foden stepped up to the occasion, scoring a magnificent goal from outside the box to level the score.
Moments later, left-back Josko Gvardiol cut in and found the far corner with a superb right-foot shot to score his first goal since joining City from RB Leipzig in the summer.
However, Madrid equalized with a stunning volley from Federico Valverde to set up an intriguing second leg.
Despite the late scare for City when Foden hobbled off after a late tackle on his ankle, they now have the chance to progress to the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive season.
Manchester City, who won this competition for the first time last season as part of a historic Treble, came into this game with Kevin de Bruyne on the bench after the Belgium midfielder was ill on Tuesday.
They got off to a perfect start when Silva curled in the opener after Aurelien Tchouameni fouled Jack Grealish.
Guardiola’s team was rocked by Madrid’s quickfire response but showed patience in their build-up with Madrid happy to sit off the Premier League champions.
Real Madrid showed City a lot of respect by often setting up with 11 men behind the ball. Their solid defensive shape allowed them to exploit one of the few weaknesses City have, which is their lack of pace at the back.
This was evident when Rodrygo got in down the City right for the second Madrid goal.
Despite Madrid’s tactics, City’s quality eventually told. Foden had been quiet, drifting between wide right and attacking midfield, but his superb season continued when he smartly turned and fired an unstoppable drive into the top-right corner of the goal.
It will be fascinating to see if Guardiola’s team, who are one point off top in the Premier League and into the FA Cup semi-finals, can continue their march towards another Treble.
Madrid, on the other hand, is a very different team from the all-conquering sides that dominated the tournament this century.
Their general shape, often with 11 men behind the ball, showed City a lot of respect and perhaps vulnerability on the back of last season’s chastening defeat in Manchester.
However, their solid defensive shape allowed them to exploit one of the few weaknesses City had.
