Real Madrid and Bayern Munich join PSG and Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals. Madrid and Bayern eliminated Manchester City and Arsenal respectively.
The two Champions League quarter-final second legs on Wednesday, April 17, were hotly contested. Real Madrid defeated Manchester City on penalties. It was a hard-fought victory for the Spanish side, who took the lead early on. Brazilian Rodrygo opened the scoring from a cross by his compatriot Vinicius in the 12th minute. The Skyblues tried to get back into the game straight away, with Kevin de Bruyne hitting a number of shots. But they struggled in the final third.
It was in the second half that Manchester City finally equalised, after numerous chances (76th). The goal was scored by an enterprising Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian striker took advantage of a poor clearance from Rüdiger and fired a close-range shot into the back of the net. The Belgian almost added to his tally a few minutes later. His super-powerful shot went just over the frame. The score remained level, and it was time for extra time. Despite the hosts' clear domination, they were unable to break down Real Madrid. The match went to penalties. In the end, Madrid won by 4-3 to book their place in the semi-finals.
In the other match, Bayern Munich got the better of Arsenal at the Allianz in the second leg of their quarter-final. After a 2-2 draw in London, Bayern made amends at home, thanks in particular to Joshua Kimmich. The Bavarians played their cards right in the second half. In the first half, both teams were very cautious. Dominated in possession, the Bavarians scored the first big chance of the game in the 23rd minute.Guerreiro set up Mazraoui for a quick pass. The full-back tried to cross with his left foot, but White deflected the ball across goal and into the corner.Arsenal kept up the pressure, but never troubled German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. As a result, both teams returned to the dressing room on a goalless draw.
At the start of the second half, Bayern Munich showed a completely different side. The Bavarians created the best chances and managed to open the scoring. Leroy Sané's cross was deflected by Raya, but Guerreiro collected the ball on the other side. The Portuguese crossed back to Kimmich, who arrived in the box to head home (63rd). Completely disorientated, Arsenal failed to create a single dangerous chance. The Gunners thus lost in front of their home crowd to Bayern, who will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
