Manchester City will not be back-to-back Champions League winners despite being the favorites at the beginning of the season. The winners of last year’s Champions League, Manchester City were defeated by fourteen-time Champions League Winner, Real Madrid at City’s home stadium, the Etihad Stadium, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. This matchup was between the two teams that most would say are the two best in the world. 

The two battled it out in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which ended in an incredible 3-3 tie. Madrid would have a lot to do at the Etihad. They started the game well with Rodrygo scoring an early goal in the twelfth minute, but after that, the game was all Manchester City. City had 33 shots and nine shots on target compared to Real Madrid’s eight shots with just three on target. City tied the game through Kevin De Bruyne after he put a rebound from Madrid’s goalkeeper into the roof of the net. City continued to apply pressure on Real Madrid, but after Kevin De Bruyne blasted the ball over the net with no one around him in the box for a golden opportunity to win the game, the game went to penalty kicks.

City started well in the shootout with World Cup winner Julián Álvarez scoring the first penalty of the shootout, and Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson saved Luka Modrić’s penalty. But, all went downhill after that for City as Bernardo Silva shot a terrible penalty that was slow and right at Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. Former Real Madrid player Mateo Kovačić’s penalty was also saved by Lunin. Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger was able to seal the deal and score his penalty to send Madrid to the semi-finals of this year’s Champions League.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters after the game, “Congratulations to Real Madrid, they defend so deep, with incredible solidarity. We did everything. I have no regrets about what we’ve done. Defensively, offensively, we played exceptionally in all departments, in everything, and unfortunately, we couldn’t win, so that’s what it is.”

Manchester City will now have all their focus on winning the Premier League. At the same time, Real Madrid will set their focus on Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and will look towards winning their fifteenth Champions League Title.