Real Madrid and Champions League holders Manchester City shared a pulsating 3-3 draw in a rollercoaster quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, April 9. Bernardo Silva put City ahead with a low free-kick but Ruben Dias' own goal and Rodrygo Goes helped Madrid dramatically and swiftly fight back. Manchester City's own quick-fire double in the second half through Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol stunned the record 14-time winners, but they snatched a draw through Fede Valverde's scorching volley.
The thrilling match was played in the shadow of a threat by the Islamic State group to target every quarter-final first leg, with a heavy security presence around the Santiago Bernabeu. Spanish officials said 2,000 police were to be deployed, but the match was played without incident off the field. On it, there was plenty under the closed stadium roof, which produced a thunderous atmosphere.
"We wanted to win and get a positive result out of the first game, but in the end we drew, making the mistake of letting in goals that we shouldn't have," Rodrygo told Movistar. "We have to win there now... it's all open, whoever makes less mistakes there will go through."
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni at center-back over Nacho Fernandez and an early rash challenge from the Frenchman paved the way for City's opener. Tchouaméni clumsily hacked down Jack Grealish after 33 seconds and was booked, meaning he will miss the second leg.
From the free-kick Silva punished Madrid further, catching goalkeeper Andriy Lunin out at his near post with a low effort which skidded home. Lunin was sluggish to react and although he got a hand to the ball he could not keep it out..
Dias deflected the first into his own net as he tried to block Camavinga's long-range piledriver, and Rodrygo slipped home the second after Vinicius Junior played him in, aided by another deflection, off Manuel Akanji.
A breathless first 45 minutes was followed by more of the same, in a tie increasingly dubbed a Champions League "Clasico". Rodri headed over for the visitors and Vinicius blasted over the top before City sprang their own comeback and extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches.
Foden pulled his team level with a superb strike, arced into the top corner from the edge of the box. The England international is enjoying his finest goalscoring campaign with this perfectly placed effort his 22nd across all competitions.
With Antonio Rudiger shackling Erling Haaland, City got a goal from an unlikely source to lead five minutes later. Defender Gvardiol's ferocious bending effort from distance left Lunin no chance and silenced the Bernabeu – but not for long.
Valverde's brilliant volley from Vinicius' cross zipped past Ortega to level the score and leave the game deliciously poised for the second leg on April 17. "I think that goal, to equalize, lifts us quite a bit for the second leg," Valverde told Movistar. "I have to thank our crowd, who were with us from start to finish."
Meanwhile, Arsenal rescued a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich as Leandro Trossard's late leveler stopped Harry Kane from making a triumphant return to north London in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg. Trossard came off the bench to equalize in the closing stages at the Emirates Stadium after former Tottenham striker Kane put Bayern 2-1 ahead with a first-half penalty.
Arsenal had taken an early lead through Bukayo Saka before former Gunners winger Serge Gnabry put Bayern back on level terms. Kane scored a North London derby record 14 goals against Arsenal during his time with Tottenham, making him an inevitable target for taunts from Gunners fans.
When Kane bagged his sixth career goal at the Emirates – and his 39th in all competitions in his first season with Bayern – it seemed the England captain would have the last laugh. But Trossard's dramatic intervention leaves the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg in Munich on April 17.
Premier League leaders Arsenal have been in superb form this season, while Bayern are on the brink of surrendering the German title for the first time in 12 years after a brutal domestic campaign.
But, playing in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, Arsenal looked unusually hesitant at times and will be relieved to have emerged with their hopes of a first European Cup still intact.