Record winners Real Madrid have fought back at the death en route to an extraordinary 3-1 extra time triumph over Manchester City on Thursday to set up a Champions League final against Liverpool.
Real Madrid were two goals behind as the game entered its final minute but two goals from substitute Rodrygo and an extra time penalty from Karim Benzema continued City’s miserable run in the the tournament they’ve yet to win.
Having won the first leg 4-3 at home last week, City thought they had clinched the tie against Real when Riyad Mahrez fired them 1-0 up in the 73rd minute.
But Rodrygo smashed home a 90th minute equaliser, forced extra time with a stoppage-time header, before Benzema converted a 95th-minute penalty in a sensational turnaround at a packed Bernabeu for Carlo Ancelotti’s freshly-crowned Spanish champions.
The game did not quite have the flair of the breathtaking seven-goal meeting at the Etihad last week but the late drama more than made up for it.
While Pep Guardiola’s City failed again to win the elite event for a first time, Real, who had ousted Paris Saint-Germain and title holders Chelsea in the previous rounds, will now be going for a record extending 14th title on May 28.
Liverpool won the other English-Spanish semi the previous day 3-2 at Villarreal for an aggregate 5-2 success.
Jurgen Klopp’s men will be aiming to avenge their 3-1 defeat from 2018 against Real as they seek a seventh trophy in the elite event and are still on course towards four season titles overall.
Guardiola is acknowledged as a high class manager but his failure on this stage continues to dog him.
“We were close. We were close. But in the end we could not reach it,” Guardiola said.
“It is simple. In the first-half we did not have game, we were not good enough. But we did not suffer much. After we scored the goal we were better. We found out tempo and our game and the players were comfortable. It is not like in the last 10 minutes they attack and attack and you suffer. It didn’t happen. They put a lot of players in the box, with Militao, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Benzema and they put in crosses and scored two goals.
“We didn’t play our best, but it is normal, a semi-final, the players feel the pressure and wanting to do it. Football is unpredictable, it is a game like this. We have to accept it.
“Now we need to process that and come back, with our people at home and the last four games we have.”
Ancelotti has become the first manager to reach five Champions League finals (Marcello Lippi and Alex Ferguson next on four).
“I cannot say we are used to living this kind if life, but what happened tonight it happened against Chelsea and also against PSG,” said Ancelotti.
“If you have to say why, it is the history of this club that helps us to keep going when it seems that we are gone.
“The game was close to finished and we managed to find the last energy we had. We played a good game against a strong rival. When we are able to equalise we had a psychological advantage in extra-time. I have no time to think about this [losing the game]. It was difficult as City had control of the game but the last opportunity we were able to go to extra-time.
“I am happy to be there in the final, in Paris against another great rival. We are used to it. It will be a fantastic game for football.”
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