April 9, (THEWILL) – A captivating UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday night saw reigning champions Real Madrid and Manchester City battle to a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu. This is the second consecutive season that this heavyweight tie has finished level in the Spanish capital.
The match started in frantic fashion, with Aurelien Tchouameni earning an early yellow card that will keep him out of the second leg. Bernardo Silva then caught Andriy Lunin with an audacious free-kick attempt. Real Madrid quickly responded, however, with Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo scoring to give the hosts a 2-1 lead by only the 14th minute.
The pace slowed as the half progressed, but there were still notable moments, including Grealish’s shot being blocked and Rodrygo firing off-target. In the second half, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scored excellent goals to turn the match on its head and put Manchester City up 3-2. Federico Valverde equalised late on, and the match finished all square, setting up a tantalising second leg at the Etihad.
The result extends Manchester City’s unbeaten run across all competitions to 26 matches, while Real Madrid’s own unbeaten streak reaches 13 games. Both sides will be eager to gain the upper hand in the return fixture as they aim to continue to pursue another UCL crown.
With the tie finely poised, the second leg promises to be another captivating encounter between two of Europe’s football powerhouses. Fans and neutrals alike will be eagerly anticipating the conclusion of this heavyweight clash.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
