Manchester City vs. Real Madrid – Football Match Report – May 17, 2023

Manchester City forged off the demons of 2022 to beat Real Madrid 4-0 within the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening in a dominant show by the Premier League leaders.

Level at 1-1 following the primary leg in Madrid, Bernardo Silva netted a pair of targets within the opening 45 minutes to offer the hosts respiratory room at half-time, whereas Eder Militao’s personal aim and a tidy end by Julian Alvarez earlier than full-time gave City a 5-1 mixture win to arrange a June 10 last showdown with Inter Milan in Istanbul.

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It was all City from the outset with Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois making a pair of stellar saves to maintain out a pair of Erling Haaland headers within the early going and Kevin De Bruyne flashing a free kick from distance simply extensive of the close to submit.

The relentless stress from Pep Guardiola’s facet lastly paid off within the twenty third minute when De Bruyne performed a defence-splitting cross to Sliva, who lower onto his left foot and powered a shot previous Courtois.

Fifteen minutes later, Silva had his second. This time the Portugal worldwide positioned a beautiful, looping header previous Courtois after the rebound from Ilkay Gundogan’s shut-vary strike sat up completely for him.

Madrid — the 14-time European champions — barely had a sniff of the ball, a lot much less the City aim, all through the whole thing of the primary half as the house crew took a two-aim mixture result in the break.

Carlo Ancelotti’s crew got here out wanting sharper within the second half however have been nonetheless unable to vogue any high quality possibilities, with City having the very best look within the 73rd minute just for Courtois to as soon as once more deny Haaland from shut vary.

The decisive aim got here quickly after, although, when De Bruyne’s floated cross into the Madrid space glanced off Manuel Akanji after which Militao into the again of the web to ship the Etihad crowd into delirium.

Argentina World Cup winner Alvarez added City’s fourth after approaching for Haaland as a late substitute, and Guardiola and his crew took their time celebrating in entrance of the house help following the ultimate whistle.

City — losers to Madrid in dramatic vogue in final yr’s UCL semis — will now advance to the ultimate for less than the second time below Guardiola, whose facet fell 1-0 to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in 2021.

There was an air of expectancy and stress earlier than kickoff inside City’s fortress, much more in order the conflict was billed as a de-facto last with Inter, of their first last for 13 years regardless of a mediocre Serie A season, awaiting the winners.

The lineups have been nearly equivalent to the scorching 1-1 draw within the Bernabeu final week, the one change being in Real’s rearguard with Militao in for Antonio Rudiger.

Just as within the Spanish capital, City took an early stranglehold with Real barely stringing two passes collectively and discovering it nearly unimaginable to flee their very own half. After City had a 3-aim lead, any ideas of a repeat of final yr’s miraculous turnaround when Real gained 6-5 on mixture have been gone.

With their place within the Istanbul showpiece secured, City can win their fifth Premier League title in six seasons this weekend and still have an FA Cup last to sit up for.