In an exhilarating display of resilience and determination, Real Madrid pulled off a stunning victory over Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals. The man at the helm, Carlo Ancelotti, couldn’t help but heap praise on his team’s performance. He said, “Everybody gave us up for dead, but Real Madrid never die”.
The Match
The quarterfinal second leg took place at the Etihad Stadium. Real Madrid drew first blood with an early goal from Rodrygo. However, the home team fought back in the second half with Kevin De Bruyne leveling the score to force extra time.
Despite being dominated by City for much of the 120 minutes (with the home side having 67% possession, and 33 shots to Madrid’s eight), Madrid’s ‘never die’ attitude carried them through. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin turned out to be the hero of the night, saving penalties from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic.
The two legs ended 4-4 on aggregate, putting Madrid into the semifinals where they’ll face Bayern Munich.
Ancelotti’s Take
Ancelotti was full of praise for his team’s performance. “There was only one way to come out of here alive, and that was to take our chances – we took one early – and then by defending well. There’s no other way against City”, he said.
Conclusion
The match was a testament to Real Madrid’s fighting spirit and their ‘never die’ attitude. It was a night that will be remembered by the fans and the players for a long time to come.
