sport news City's dream of a Double Treble is no more… which is bad news for Arsenal and ... trends now
A few minutes before kick-off, a flag depicting a double-decker bus began to be passed along the Manchester City fans behind one of the goals at the Etihad Stadium. It had Phil Foden’s face emblazoned on the side next to the figure 192, the number of the bus that runs from Manchester, through Foden’s home town, Stockport, to Hazel Grove.
There was something else inscribed on it, too. ‘Wembley Express’ was written on it in big capital letters, a reference not to City’s appearance there on Saturday in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea but a nod to the fact that the Champions League final will take place in north west London on June 1.
It turns out City won’t be there to play in it. Real Madrid rang the bell a few stops early at The Etihad last night and booted City off that bus before it had left east Manchester.
After an attritional tie that was dominated by a dogged Madrid defence and finished 1-1 after extra time, it took a dramatic roller-coaster of a penalty shoot-out to decide this quarter-final but Madrid prevailed.
City went into an early lead in that shoot out but a terrible, chipped penalty from Bernardo Silva that sailed softly into the hands of Andriy Lunin changed the momentum of that part of the contest and Antonio Rudiger, Madrid’s titan throughout the match, kept his nerve to stroke home the final kick.
Antonio Rudiger was mobbed by team-mates after scoring the winning penalty against City
Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side were edged out by the Champions League masters
The City players look dejected at the end after going ahead on penalties then losing
Rudiger sent the ball into the corner of the net past the despairing dive of Ederson to score the decisive penalty
And so City’s dream of a Double Treble is no more. And their dream of becoming the only team other than Madrid to retain the Champions League is no more. All of which may be bad news for Arsenal and Liverpool. Because now City will throw everything they have at winning the Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for City who had won 28 and drawn two of their last 30 home games in the Champions League before this match. They had not lost at home in the competition since a defeat to Lyon 2037 days ago. Everything changed last night.
The sides had drawn the first leg in Madrid last season, too, but City were irresistible when the teams met in Manchester. Bernardo Silva scored two and Phil Foden’s pass to Julian Alvarez to set up the fourth was poetry. It was the kind of display that made everyone believe they were going to win the Treble.
The start was more conservative this time than it had been last week, when the sides drew 3-3 in the first leg, or last year. It was not until the 10th minute when Eduardo Camavinga managed the first shot of the game, a curling effort that was comfortably saved by Ederson, but it was still against the run of play when Madrid took the lead two minutes later.
Bellingham, who had been chasing and harrying and trying to knock City out of their stride as they built from the back, took a high ball down with exquisite control on the half way line and fed the ball out to Federico Valverde on the right.
Valverde slipped the ball to Vinicius Jr and his low cross seemed to catch Manuel Akanji off balance at the back post. He slipped as the ball went behind him and Rodrygo lashed it goalwards from six yards out. Ederson made a superb reaction save but the ball went straight back to Rodrygo and this time, he rammed it home.
Bernardo Silva is consoled by team-mates after missing his penalty down the middle
