Champions League semi-final second legs: What to look out for on Wednesday
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
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Manchester City must take their chances – not an issue for Karim Benzema as Real Madrid look to overturn a first-leg deficit after last week's instant classic.
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On Wednesday, Manchester City and Real Madrid resume their mouth-watering tie at 4-3 after a first leg for the ages. Is another classic on the cards at the Santiago Bernabéu?
Presented by Expedia, UEFA.com considers the potential talking points as the two contenders aim to book their place to take on Liverpool in the Stade de France final on Saturday 28 May.
Will City rue missed chances?
"Riyad, Riyad," Pep Guardiola fumed when Riyad Mahrez squandered a golden chance to put City 3-0 up in the first leg, lashing into the side-netting rather than putting it on a plate for the unmarked Phil Foden. It was the first of many opportunities to go begging (Mahrez alone could have had a hat-trick), and the English champions racked up an incredible 77 attacks to Madrid's typically-better-than-average 28. "We started really well and could have killed them off," said Foden. "In these games, we need to take more chances." Starting, you would think, at the Bernabéu.
Benzema closing on Ronaldo records
Karim Benzema had never scored more than seven Champions League goals in a single campaign before this season; his first-leg goals took him to double that mark for 2021/22. "There aren't the words to say what he is doing," remarked partner-in-crime Vinícius Júnior. The Frenchman is now one off Ronaldo's record of ten goals in a single knockout campaign and needs three more to match the Portugal forward's mark of 17 for a season – you wouldn't bet against him. City's hopes may rest with João Cancelo and Kyle Walker returning to cut off some supply.
In case you were wondering, the record for most goals in a Champions League semi-final tie is 13, set when Liverpool edged out Roma 7-6 in 2017/18.
When and where is the final?
The 2021/22 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Saint-Denis's Stade de France on Saturday 28 May, kicking off at 21:00 CET.
Built to stage games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the Stade de France was also the venue for the 2000 and 2006 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as the UEFA EURO 2016 showpiece.