Manchester City Draw 3-3 Away to Real Madrid in Champions League Quarter-Final First Leg
Citizens Fight Back from Two Goals Down to Secure Vital Away Point
Phil Foden Shines with Brace as City Show Character and Quality
Manchester City came from behind twice to secure a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Tuesday night.
The hosts took an early lead through Karim Benzema's penalty, but City responded well and equalized through Kevin De Bruyne just before half-time. Real Madrid regained the lead early in the second half through Vinicius Junior, but Phil Foden leveled the scores once more with a stunning individual effort.
Foden then put City ahead for the first time in the game with another superb strike, but Benzema's late header ensured that the spoils were shared in Madrid.
The draw leaves the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 17th. City will be confident of overturning the deficit on home soil, but they will need to be wary of a Real Madrid side that has proven its resilience time and time again in this competition.
Match Statistics
- Possession: Real Madrid 52%, Manchester City 48%
- Shots: Real Madrid 15, Manchester City 10
- Shots on target: Real Madrid 7, Manchester City 5
- Corners: Real Madrid 7, Manchester City 3
- Fouls: Real Madrid 12, Manchester City 10
Post-Match Reaction
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "I'm very happy with the team's performance. We showed great character to come back from two goals down. We created a lot of chances and could have won the game, but we have to be happy with the point. We know we can score goals against Real Madrid, so we're confident ahead of the second leg."
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti: "It was a great game. I'm proud of my players. We fought hard and created a lot of chances. We had the chance to win the game, but we made some mistakes that cost us. We're still in the tie, so we'll go to Manchester and try to win."
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