It was always going to happen. Somehow, after soaking up 123 minutes of pressure, Real Madrid were going to find a way to beat Manchester City. And they did just that, winning on penalties, 4-3, following a 1-1 stalemate after extra-time in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Andriy Lunin played hero on the night, saving two City spot-kicks, before Antonio Rudiger delivered the decisive blow, sending Los Blancos into a fourth-straight Champions League semi-final.
Madrid took the lead after 13 minutes, as Rodrygo fired home at the second time of asking after a well-constructed counter-attack. City offered a response, though, peppering Lunin's goal with a series of well-constructed moves of their own, and Erling Haaland came closest to equalising as he directed a header off the woodwork.
Pep Guardiola's side piled the pressure on in the second half, and after 30 minutes of toil, they were rewarded. Kevin De Bruyne grabbed the goal, turning home from close-range after Jeremy Doku's cross fell kindly to his feet. The Belgian should have killed the tie soon after, but lashed over from inside the box.
Rudiger came closest to finding a winner in extra-time, hooking an effort over the bar from close-range, and penalties were needed to decide the tie. Luka Modric's miss was rendered irrelevant, as Lunin's saved from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic to keep Madrid's hopes of a 15th European Cup on track.
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