For the third time in the knock out rounds Real Madrid have proved they are are indeed the UEFA Champions League team and the latest installment of the fantastic story is cancelling out two goal deficit to snatch a 6-5 aggregate win over Manchester United in the semi final of the competition.
On Wednesday night in one of the biggest stages of football at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid turned a lost situation around to reach the final.
Trailing 4-3 from the first leg, both sides entered the second leg with very cautious approaches and did not set the game alight in the first half.
It wasn’t until late in the game before it sparked into life, Riyad Mahrez smashing home at the end of a quick counter attack.
The Algerian’s seventh goal in the competition though would prove the trigger for Ancelotti’s men and substitute, Rodrygo started the come back.
He got the leveler on the night at the death, before tying the aggregate score in the first minute of stoppage time.
The heroics of the 21 year-old Brazilian forced the game into extra time.
In extra time, Real Madrid showed heart as the deflated Man City finally capitulated.
🗓 Saturday: Carlo Ancelotti becomes the first manager to win a league title in each of Europe’s top five divisions
🗓 Wednesday: Carlo Ancelotti becomes the first manager to reach five Champions League finals
History maker. 🤨 pic.twitter.com/EcONH5Cp5k
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) May 4, 2022
Five minutes into the first half of extra time, Karim Benzema won a penalty and the Frenchman stepped forward to take it himself.
Benzema displaced the goalkeeper sending him the wrong way as he played it low to the right.
The goal took his goal tally to 15 in the UCL this season, two more than his closest competition, Robert Lewandowski and tied with Cristiano Ronaldo for the most goals scored in the knock out phase of the Champions League (10).
Only two players in the Champions League era have scored 10 goals in a single knockout stage:
▪️ Cristiano Ronaldo (2016/17)
▪️ Karim Benzema (2021/22)King Karim equals the record. #UCL pic.twitter.com/SYT2EUrZia
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) May 4, 2022
Neither side managed another goal and Real Madrid thus booked their spot in the May 28 final in Paris against Liverpool.
