Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid (agg: 4-4 aet, 3-4 pens): Real Madrid hold nerve in shoot-out

Real Madrid continued their quest for a 15th UEFA Champions League title after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory eliminated holders Manchester City and booked a fourth successive semi-final appearance.

Match in brief: Madrid hold nerve in rearguard action

Real Madrid's goalkeeper is mobbed by team-matesDeFodi Images via Getty Images

Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola was able to bring back three key players into the starting XI from last week's 3-3 draw in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the form of goalkeeper Ederson, captain Kyle Walker and integral midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

The return of Walker might have meant Carlo Ancelotti's ploy of overloading players down the Real Madrid left in the first leg, including Rodrygo, would not prove as fruitful this time, but it was the Brazilian international who struck after an uncharacteristically cautious opening from both clubs.

Madrid worked the ball into the right of the area with Vinícius Júnior finding compatriot Rodrygo in space with a low centre. Ederson was perfectly positioned to repel the winger's initial right-footed effort, but the rebound sat up invitingly for the visiting No11 to place it just out of reach of his fellow countryman.

Rodrygo guides in the rebound to give Real Madrid the leadAFP via Getty Images

That prompted the holders to go onto the front foot, and the home side went close just seven minutes after going behind when Erling Haaland's looping header smacked against the crossbar.

The reigning champions upped the tempo as the match wore on with Jack Grealish twice testing Andriy Lunin either side of the Real Madrid No13 denying Phil Foden.

With Guardiola in search of an equaliser, he sent Jérémy Doku into the action with 18 minutes remaining and the Belgian international was central to the equaliser. When the tricky substitute's cross was only partially cleared by Antonio Rüdiger, De Bruyne was on hand to scoop the ball into the roof of the net.

Kevin De Bruyne strikes an emphatic equaliserUEFA via Getty Images

City could have sealed progress deep in normal time, but De Bruyne was unable to double his tally, curling a long-range attempt narrowly over the bar before side-footing over from close range.

The teams were unable to maintain the intensity of the first 90 minutes in extra time, City substitute Julián Álvarez failing to beat Lunin at the goalkeeper's near post deep into the additional half-hour.

It was Lunin who proved to be the hero in the shoot-out, guessing correctly to deny Mateo Kovačić and Bernardo Silva after Ederson had stopped Luka Modrić's kick. The 14-time winners of this competition duly confirmed their place in the last four thanks to Rüdiger's low penalty into the bottom corner.

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Steve Bates, Man City reporter

Heartbreak for City as the chance to win back-to back Champions League titles and their double-treble bid are ended by a penalty shoot-out. It looked as if they could win in normal time after De Bruyne's equaliser but they couldn't conjure a winner while on top. Rüdiger's penalty proved decisive and the desolation on the face of Guardiola's players at the end told its own story.

Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter

Glory after guts. It took Los Blancos digging so deep into their reserves of character, never mind their stamina and athleticism, to cope with City and emerge with a draw after 120 minutes here. Approaching the spot-kick contest, perhaps victory looked less likely, as they've missed a few penalties this season. Now on they march – Lunin the hero.

Reaction 

Andriy Lunin stood firm to claim Bernardo Silva's chipped penaltyGetty Images

Pep Guardiola, Man City manager: "I would have preferred to win but congratulations to Madrid. We did everything we could, we played exceptionally in all departments. Unfortunately we couldn't win – that's what it is."

Rúben Dias, Man City defender, speaking to TNT Sports: "We dominated the whole game. The effort was there. We had our chances, it's a difficult one to take. You always end up doing everything to try to avoid going to penalties, especially the way we were controlling the game."

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid head coach: "We defended really, really well tonight. This was about survival. Madrid is a club based on always fighting to stay in situations where there seems to be no way out – but we always find a way. By the time the penalty shoot-out came, we were totally convinced we'd go through."

Nacho, Real Madrid captain, speaking to Movistar: "We suffered a lot tonight because City really put you under the cosh. But we are Real Madrid. We always, always fight until the very end. We aren't used to suffering like that. But the only thing that mattered, all night, was making sure it was us in the semi-finals. We showed another side of ourselves; we showed we know how to defend deep and win."

Andriy Lunin, Madrid goalkeeper, speaking to Movistar: "The most demanding experience you can go through is a Champions League match like this away to City. You know you're going to have to suffer."

Rüdiger kept his cool to book a semi-final tie against BayernAFP via Getty Images

Key stats

• Rodrygo's strike was his fifth of this season's Champions League – equalling his best tally in the competition and the third successive season in which he has reached that total.
• The Real Madrid No11 has struck five times in his last five quarter-final outings in this tournament.
• De Bruyne's last 11 Champions League goals have all come in the knockout stages.
• This was the first penalty shoot-out at the quarter-final stage since 2004/05, when PSV triumphed 4-2 on spot kicks against Lyon in Eindhoven after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
• Real Madrid have now progressed in each of their last 12 Champions League quarter-final ties.
• Los Blancos are through to a record-extending 17th UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Fantasy star performers

Kevin De Bruyne: 8 points
Rodrygo: 6 points
Federico Valverde: 6 points

Line-ups

Man City: Ederson; Walker, Rúben Dias, Akanji (Stones 112), Gvardiol; Rodri, De Bruyne (Kovačić 112); Bernardo Silva, Foden, Grealish (Doku 72); Haaland (Álvarez 91)

Real Madrid: Lunin; Carvajal (Militão 110), Nacho, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos (Modrić 79); Bellingham; Rodrygo (Díaz 84), Vinícius Júnior (Vázquez 102)