Manchester City have drawn with Real Madrid 3-3 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti’s sides shared the spoils in a pulsating contest at the Bernabeu, with some absolutely stunning goals on show – as well as some lucky ones.
City got off to a dream start, taking the lead inside two minutes through Bernardo Silva‘s smart free-kick.
But Real Madrid turned the game on its head with two goals in as many minutes, with Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo both scoring with deflected efforts.
City were poor in the first-half, but were much improved after the break. There were special strikes for the visitors from Phil Foden to equalise, and then Josko Gvardiol – his first for the club since his summer move.
Unfortunately for City, Madrid then hit back through Fede Valverde.
It was yet another big moment for Foden, who left Gary Lineker impressed with his goal…
Gary Lineker lauds ‘superb’ Phil Foden after stunning goal for Manchester City against Real Madrid
City were way off it tonight in the first-half, but thankfully a lot of players stepped up in the second.
City, missing key players like Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake and Kevin De Bruyne – who wasn’t feeling well ahead of the game and dropped out of the starting XI – looked really vulnerable at times, and also struggled to create.
But Foden was one player who did end up stepping up in the second-half – and he hit a truly stunning goal.
He collected a square pass on the edge of the box from John Stones, and then unleashed a fierce drive right into the very top corner.
https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1777796034699120957
It was perhaps something out of the De Bruyne catalogue. But we are seeing special moments from Foden quite regularly these days.
The strike left Match of the Day host Gary Lineker amazed, as he wrote on X: “Wow! What a goal from the superb @PhilFoden.”
Lineker also described Gvardiol’s strike minutes later as ‘stunning’.
What a goal, what a player
This wasn’t Foden’s finest outing tonight on the whole. But his goal was of the highest quality and further cements him as one of the game’s best players right now.
It was an amazing strike from the 23-year-old, whose nickname of ‘The Sniper’ looks more and more appropriate by the game.
It was a worrying sight to see him go off injured in the 87th minute and hopefully that turns out to be nothing too serious.