Guests secure thrilling victory in penalty shootout to advance in UEFA Champions League

Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid celebrated victory after a thrilling UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Andriy Lunin emerged as the hero for Real Madrid as they overcame Manchester City on penalties to secure a place in the semi-finals.

Lunin made crucial saves from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, while Antonio Rudiger scored the decisive spot-kick to dethrone the reigning champions.

After a 3-3 draw in the first leg, Madrid took the lead at the Etihad Stadium with Rodrygo finding the back of the net in the 12th minute. City had their chances to respond, with Erling Haaland hitting the crossbar and Lunin making impressive saves to deny Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. However, City finally broke through Madrid’s resistance when Rudiger cleared a cross straight to De Bruyne, who calmly scored to level the tie.

Despite City’s dominance throughout the match, they couldn’t find the winning goal, leading the match to a penalty shoot-out. Ederson denied Luka Modric with Madrid’s first kick, giving City an early advantage. But Lunin’s saves against Silva and Kovacic turned the tide in Madrid’s favor, ultimately leading to Rudiger’s successful final kick and securing a semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola will be left wondering how his side failed to reach the Champions League semi-finals. City dominated possession with 67.2%, completed more than double the number of passes compared to Madrid, and had numerous shots and touches in the opposition box. However, their failure to convert their dominance into goals proved costly as Madrid held on and triumphed in the penalty shoot-out.

Andriy Lunin was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. He not only made crucial saves during the shoot-out but also kept out eight of City’s nine shots on target throughout the second leg. Lunin’s heroics in goal paved the way for Madrid’s victory.

Player ratings for the match saw Lunin and Rudiger receive high praise, while De Bruyne and Grealish were also recognized for their performances. Madrid’s victory sets up an exciting semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.

The match highlights included Rodrygo’s early goal for Madrid, Haaland hitting the crossbar, De Bruyne’s equalizer, and missed chances for City. The penalty shoot-out saw Lunin make crucial saves, including denying Silva and Kovacic, while Rudiger scored the decisive penalty to send Madrid through to the semi-finals.