‘Simply unbelievable’: World stunned as Real Madrid pull off astonishing Champions League comeback

Football fans couldn’t believe their eyes as Real Madrid did the unthinkable at the death of their Champions League clash against Manchester City.

Expect the unexpected in Champions League football.

Football went into meltdown as Real Madrid pulled off the most astonishing comeback to crush Manchester City’s dreams and advance to the Champions League final courtesy of the craziest 3-1 victory imaginable.

City defeated the Spanish giants 4-3 at home in the first leg of their semi-final tie and looked to be heading towards a 1-0 victory in Madrid on Thursday morning (AEST) as full-time approached, following Riyad Mahrez’s 73rd minute strike for the visitors.

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But the home side refused to give up. Rodrygo scored an equaliser in the 90th minute to make it 1-1, then a minute later in stoppage time his header found the back of the net and it was 2-1 when the final whistle went.

That made it 5-5 on aggregate and extra time was needed, as fans on social media struggled to comprehend what they’d just seen.

English football great Gary Lineker tweeted: “Un-f***ing-believable.

“This is why this sport is so bloody brilliant, especially at this level. Because you just never know. Imagine not liking football.”

Madness.

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) May 4, 2022

Nah no way

— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) May 4, 2022

Wow.
Simply unbelievable.#RealManCity

— Ned Zelic (@NedZelic) May 4, 2022

OMG, sports!!!!

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 4, 2022

Real Madrid draw level 😜 #UCLpic.twitter.com/2CsdLs4Tmv

— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) May 4, 2022

The end of the 90. Extra time. What an absolutely ridiculous game

— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) May 4, 2022

The madness didn’t end there. Madrid took the lead for the first time when Karim Benzema was fouled in the box, then slotted home from the penalty spot to make it 3-1 in the match and 6-5 on aggregate with 25 minutes remaining.

City couldn’t find the breakthrough they desperately needed and the hosts held firm to complete a remarkable win that sent spectators into a frenzy.

Absolute mugging that - got to love football

— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) May 4, 2022

This season, Madrid had already performed the unlikeliest of rescue acts to defeat both Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and Chelsea in the quarter-finals but, given the stakes and how close they were to defeat, this one against City was surely the most dramatic.

Like PSG and Chelsea before them, City will wonder how they emerged as losers from a match they largely controlled and there will be fresh scrutiny too on coach Pep Guardiola, who, for all his success, goes another year without leading City to the European glory they so crave.

City’s collapse would have been almost inexplicable had it been against anyone other than Real Madrid, who advance to their 17th final in the competition. They are a victory against Liverpool away from lifting a 14th European Cup.

“Another magic night from the kings of Europe,” read a banner draped over the stand at one end before kick-off but for most of normal time, this match failed to live up to the seven-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium last week.

Real Madrid were the more assertive early on, with Benzema given a couple of difficult opportunities that only he, in his current form, might have expected to convert. Instead, he headed over and fired high.

In between, Luka Modric and Rodri clashed over a Casemiro challenge and then City stepped forward, squeezing Madrid into errors as Kevin De Bruyne hit Thibaut Courtois from distance before the goalkeeper had to make a smart reaction save from Bernardo Silva.

Real Madrid survived and then improved before the break, Modric causing a roar of satisfaction when he outsprinted De Bruyne to cut off a counter.

Karim Benzema was the hero. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

Probably their best chance came within seconds of the restart as Dani Carvajal found space down the right but Vinicius Junior shot wide at the back post.

City were on the back foot as space opened up for Modric in the box but a poor touch made his finish difficult. A sloppy Kyle Walker pass set Casemiro loose but the weaving Vinicius was unable to find a way through.

An injury to Walker checked Madrid’s momentum and when the game found its rhythm again. City struck, Ilkay Gundogan’s pass cutting through Madrid’s midfield and finding Silva, who danced through to the edge of the box.

Silva shaped to shoot but instead wedged the ball right to Mahrez, who smashed it hard, early and past Courtois.

Modric went off and with the Croatian seemed to go some of Madrid’s belief. Jack Grealish, on as a substitute, could have made it two for City but somehow Ferland Mendy cleared off the line, before another Grealish shot flashed past the post.

It felt inconsequential because Madrid looked dead and buried but somehow, out of nowhere, they found a way back.

It was the 90th minute when Benzema cushioned a ball brilliantly across for Rodrygo to feather in at the near post and the cheer for the goal was only a little louder than for the stadium announcer then saying there would be six minutes of added time.

Madrid only needed one as City, for so long so compact and composed, were suddenly sprawled and all it needed was for Carvajal to swing a cross into the box, where the diminutive Rodrygo headed in.

When play resumed, Madrid emerged the stronger and four minutes in, they had a penalty, Benzema tumbling over the tired, lunging leg of Ruben Dias before ignoring City’s attempts at distraction by rolling the spot-kick into the corner.

City pushed as Fernandinho came up just short at the back post when Courtois parried away. A late flick from Dias into the box floated harmlessly into the hands of Courtois, City’s final attempt coming to nothing.

Madrid will face Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 29, after the Reds completed a stunning second-half turnaround to overcome Villarreal earlier this week to record a 5-2 aggregate rout.

It was heartbreak for City. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

With AFP