Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (agg 6-5): Rodrygo & Benzema send Hosts into UCL final

Real Madrid always find a way. Carlo Ancelotti's side once again came back from the dead on Wednesday night, scoring three times after the 90th minute to overcome Manchester City to reach the Champions League final. Trailing 1-0 after 90 minutes, they won 3-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate

Match Reports

City led until the 90th minute, then Los Blancos scored twice to force extra time. From there, at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, there was only going to be one winner. A Karim Benzema penalty in extra time allowed them to book their place in the Paris final, where they'll meet Liverpool.

Having lost the first leg 4-3 in Manchester, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid knew they had to come out and play. They sought to attack more than usual, but playing against the Premier League champions isn't easy.?

Things got heated early on and the visitors were lucky to keep XI men on the pitch, with Aymeric Laporte seeming to slap Luka Modric in the face right under the nose of referee Daniele Orsato. But the Spain international escaped without much punishment.

Karim Benzema had a good chance but headed over, and it was a chance that he would have expected to score while by no means being a simple one. The French No.9 had another chance that he sent off target and it looked as though it just wasn't going to be his night.

After half time, Real Madrid had a chance inside eight seconds, a sign of the speed at which they can make things happen. This time it was Vinicius Junior who was unable to finish, getting his legs tangled and his body shape all wrong as he tapped wide.

Already needing two goals to go through, Los Blancos were delivered a blow when Riyad Mahrez fired a fierce shot into the top corner at Thibaut Courtois' near post with about a quarter of an hour left to play.

Jack Grealish came off the bench and could have killed Los Blancos off, half-rounding Courtois before poking towards goal. On the line, though a scrambling Ferland Mendy managed to clear, and if you don't make sure that Real Madrid are dead, they find a way.

In the 90th minute, Rodrygo Goes levelled on the night and put the hosts within a goal on aggregate. A ball to the back post found Benzema. Stretching and on the jump, he teed up the Brazilian to tap in at the near post. There was hope, and the Bernabeu awoke.

Within a minute Rodrygo scored again, making him the first-ever Champions League player to score twice after the 90th minute. This time he emphatically headed home on the end of a cross from the right, whipped in by Dani Carvajal and flicked on by Marco Asensio.

The result allows Real Madrid to continue to dream of a treble this season, having already won LaLiga Santander and the Supercopa de Espana. Los Blancos face Liverpool in the final, having beaten Jurgen Klopp's Reds in the 2018 edition in Kyiv.

With the loss, City's dreams of a double have ended. They'll now focus all of their attention on retaining their Premier League title and fighting off competition from Champions League finalists Liverpool.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' KICK-OFF! Who can win this match?

4' Benzema's header over the bar

8' Yellow Card! Modric and Laporte booked

11' Benzema fires his shot into the sky

14' Courtois denied De Bruyne's long shot

18' Vinicius' shot flies into the sky

19' Bernardo's shot parried away at close range

22' Jesus' shot wide out

39' Courtois denied Foden's long shot

49' Jesus' shot saved by Courtois

71' Walker subbed off with injury

72' GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Man City (Mahrez)

83' Yellow Card! Militao booked

85' Courtois denied Cancelo's shot

87' MISS! Grealish's shot wide out

89' GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Man City (Rodrygo)

91' GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Man City (Rodrygo)

91' Ederson denied Benzema's shot

94' Penalty Goal! Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (Benzema)

100' Yellow Card! Sterling booked

104' Sub! Ceballos in, Benzema out

105' CHANCE! Fernandinho nearly scores for Man City

Line-ups

Real Madrid XI: Modric, Benzema, Kroos, Courtois, Casemiro, Nacho, Carvajal, F Mendy, Valverde, Militao, Vinicius

Subs: Marcelo, Alaba, Vazquez, Mariano, Jovic, Vallejo, Asensio, Ceballos, A. Lunin, Rodrygo, E. Camavinga, Toni Fuidias

Man City XI: Walker, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Cancelo, Laporte, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Bernardo, Jesus, Rodri, Foden

Subs: Carson, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Sterling, Ake, Grealish, Zinchenko, Z. Steffen, C. Palmer, CJ Egan-Riley, J. Mcatee, R. Lavia