17 May 2024 22.52 BST Pep Guardiola speaks ... “At home we feel incredibly comfortable
in front of our people,” 🏀 he tells BT Sport. “I have a feeling that for one year we had
a fear in our stomach about 🏀 what happened last season but today we went out with
everything we had. Last season was so painful and people 🏀 say it was lack of character
but one year later we show just how special these players are. Congratulations to 🏀 our
chairman, our owner and every last person [in our organisation] because they work with
a real purpose and now 🏀 we are there [in the final].”
17 May 2024 22.33 BST Kyle Walker
joins the chat ... “I’m glad it looked 🏀 comfortable from up there,” he says in response
to a question about how easy the first half looked for City 🏀 from the studio up in the
stands. “Listen, it’s tough. It’s always going to be tough. I think the emotions
🏀 sometimes take hold of you. I was a little ‘Phew, how is this going to go?’ I thought
the lads 🏀 dug in well, controlled the ball really well, especially in the first half. I
think in the second half we 🏀 were a little bit sloppy when we came out, giving the ball
away in areas where we shouldn’t. Listen, we 🏀 got over the line and that’s the main
thing.”
17 May 2024 22.29 BST Jack Grealish talks to BT Sport ... 🏀 “It’s unbelievable,”
he says. “We spoke last week after the game and I was buzzing then just to be involved
🏀 … well, not to be involved because that makes me sound like a youth team player. I mean
just to 🏀 be in the moment, man … it’s so nice. And now a week later I’m standing here
again and it’s 🏀 4-0. I don’t think a lot of teams would do that to Real Madrid. “I
swear, man … you know 🏀 when we’re all together and we’re just playing and stuff,
especially here? We just feel unstoppable, honestly. I don’t know 🏀 what it is. I seen a
stat the other day about Champions League games, concerning the amount we’ve won at
🏀 home compared to away. I think we’ve drawn five in the Champions League away this
season but we’ve won every 🏀 game at home. I don’t know what it is, whther it’s the fans
or the pitch, but playing here we 🏀 just feel nobody can beat us.”
17 May 2024 22.08 BST
City celebrate: The stands remain packed and Manchester City’s players 🏀 have been
celebrating in the centre-circle, where Erling Haaland is celebrating Norway Day by
draping himself in his home country’s 🏀 national flag. They could be celebrating again on
Saturday evening, as Bernardo Silva has just said they are determined to 🏀 win the
Premier League in front of their home fans with a victory over Chelsea. They may not
even need 🏀 to win. If Nottingham Forest can beat Arsenal earlier in the day, City will
be crowned champions without kicking a 🏀 ball.
17 May 2024 22.03 BST Bernardo Silva
speaks ... “It’s a beautiful night for us,” he tells BT Sport. “We 🏀 knew it was going to
be tough but to beat this Madrid team 4-0 at home it was wonderful. It’s 🏀 a wonderful
feeling to be in the final again and hopefully this time we can try to win it.” On 🏀 his
own display: “My performance in the first leg in Madrid wasn’t the one I wanted and I
wanted to 🏀 try to compensate for that because I didn’t feel very good at all after the
first game. Today I had 🏀 to do better for my team-mates, for the fans and that’s what I
tried to do.” On scoring with a 🏀 headxer: “I’m very good with my head,” he says with a
laugh. “I’m small but I’m good with my head.” 🏀 On facing Inter in the final: “I watched
the game yesterday and they’re a very organised team. I watched the 🏀 games also against
Barcelona and Munich in the group stage … and Benfica, because it’s my team. They look
very 🏀 organised defensively and quiclk going in the counter-attack … set-pieces. It’s
going to be tough but we’re going to try 🏀 it.”
17 May 2024 21.56 BST A quick recap: A
first-half brace from Bernardo Silva along with an own goal from 🏀 Eder Militao and the
cherry on top from Julian Alvarez did for Real Madrid, who can consider themselves
lucky to 🏀 not to have been beaten by a lot more. Thibaut Courtois pulled off several
sensational saves to keep the score 🏀 down, while his opposite number Ederson was only
forced into action on a couple of occasions. The Brazilian saved a 🏀 rasping drive from
Toni Kroos and a David Alaba free-kick.
17 May 2024 21.52 BST Full time: Man City 4-0
Real 🏀 Madrid (agg: 5-1) Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at the Etihad Stadium,
where Real Madrid have been humbled by 🏀 a Manchester City side who have rarely played
better. Pep Guardiola and his men will travel to Istanbul for the 🏀 Champions League
final against Inter in 24 days time.
17 May 2024 21.50 BST GOAL! Man City 4-0 Real
Madrid (agg 🏀 5-1) (Alvarez 90+1) Ah here! Rodri plays a short pass inside to Phil Foden,
whose first-time ball in behind is 🏀 seized upon by Julian Alvarez. He slots past
Courois, who immediately gets to his feet and berates defenders who were 🏀 doing passable
imitations of statues. Julian Alvarez adds the cherry on top. Manchester City have been
sensational. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The 🏀 Guardian
Updated at 21.52 BST
17 May 2024
21.47 BST 89 min: Some neat interplay between Foden and Grealish comes unstuck when
🏀 Lucas Vazquez charges in to win the ball. Manchester City substitution: Julian Alvarez
on for Erling Haaland, who will go 🏀 to bed tonight wondering how on earth he didn’t
score. Thibaut Courtois made two or three excellent saves to deny 🏀 him, the first of
which bordered on the downright astonishing.
17 May 2024 21.45 BST 87 min: Real Madrid
press forward 🏀 in search of a consolation goal on what has been a miserable evening in
their history. The reigning European champions 🏀 have been totally outclassed by their
hosts.
17 May 2024 21.42 BST 84 min: Phil Foden is on for Kevin De 🏀 Bruyne, who was
starting to look a bit tired. I think it was Rodrygo who made way for Ceballos.
17 May
🏀 2024 21.41 BST 82 min: Ederson denies Dani Ceballos, standing tall to block a rising
drive from the recently introduced 🏀 substitute … whose introduction I missed. Sorry
about that.
17 May 2024 21.38 BST 80 min: Man City substitution: Riyad Mahrez 🏀 on for
Ilkay Gundogan, who jogs off to an ovation. Real Madrid substitutions: Aurelien
Tchouameni and Lucas Vazquez on for 🏀 Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Carvajal.
17 May 2024
21.36 BST 78 min: En masse, City’s supporters turn their backs to the 🏀 action, put their
arms around each other’s shoulders and “do the Poznan”.
17 May 2024 21.34 BST GOAL! Man
City 3-0 🏀 Real Madrid (agg: 4-1) (Militao 76og) Game, set and match, Manchester City!
Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick from the left is 🏀 flicked on by Manuel Akanji. His header
takes a big deflection off Eder Militao and fizzes past Thibaut Courtois. Eder 🏀 Militao
scores an own goal and Manchester City are on their way to Istanbul! Photograph: Molly
Darlington/Reuters
Updated at 21.39 BST
17 🏀 May 2024 21.32 BST 75 min: Eduardo Camavinga
is penalised for a late challenge on Jack Grealish. His claims that 🏀 he won the ball
fall on deaf ears.
17 May 2024 21.31 BST 73 min: Oh my! Haaland exchanges passes with
🏀 Gundogan, running on to a backheel from his skipper and finding himself clean through
on goal. He looks certain to 🏀 score from six years but is somehow denied by Courtois
again. The goalkeeper makles himself big and manages to deflect 🏀 the ball over the bar.
Denied for a second time tonight, Haaland cannot believe he hasn’t scored. Haaland hits
the 🏀 bar! Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters
Updated at 21.37 BST
17 May
2024 21.28 BST 71 min: Vinicius Jr goes to ground in 🏀 the Manchester City penalty area
claiming to have been pushed by John Stones. He’s chancing his arm and referee Szymon
🏀 Marciniak is quite rightly having none of it.
17 May 2024 21.26 BST 67 min: Marcelo
Bielsa was appointed Uruguay manager 🏀 yesterday and if the great man has tuned in to
this game to see how Federico Valverde is getting on, 🏀 he could be forgiven for
wondering if the midfielder is even on the pitch. Valverde has been totally anonymous
tonight 🏀 and is one of several Real players who are just strolling around the pitch
waiting for somebody else to flick 🏀 the switch and get them out of their current
pickle.
17 May 2024 21.23 BST 65 min: The ball’s sent fizzing 🏀 through the centre to
Karim Benzema, whose touch on the half-turn lets him down.
17 May 2024 21.21 BST 62
min: 🏀 Ilkay Gundogan is bookedd for a foul on Vinicisus Jr. Real Madrid substitution and
it’s an interesting one: Antonio Rudiger 🏀 on for Luka Modric. One presumes he’ll slot
into ther heart of Real’s defence, Alaba will move to left-back and 🏀 Camavinga will move
further up the pitch to play alongside Toni Kroos.
Updated at 21.21 BST
17 May 2024
21.18 BST 60 🏀 min: Dani Carvajal recovers to steal the ball off the toe of Ilkay
Gundogan as the Manchester City skipper shaped 🏀 to shoot from seven yards after a
ricochet off the left-back’s leg broke his way. It was a half-chance but 🏀 Gundogan
hadn’t time to sort his feet out.
17 May 2024 21.16 BST 59 min: Kyle Walker cuts out a
cross 🏀 aimed towards Benzema from the boot of Rodrygo. He’s been outstanding tonight,
like most of City’s players.
17 May 2024 21.15 🏀 BST 57 min: Real Madrid have been
considerably better in this half than the first but it’s a very low 🏀 bar. They’re
enjoying far more possession but not doing a great deal with it. If they could conjure
up a 🏀 goal from somewhere it would really spice things up. Eder Militao battles for the
ball with Kevin De Bruyne. Photograph: 🏀 Martin Rickett/PA
Updated at 21.21 BST
17 May
2024 21.13 BST 55 min: Jack Grealish is dragged to the ground by Dani 🏀 Carvajal as he
tries to skip around him down the left wing. The Real Madrid right-back has his name
taken 🏀 and City have a free-kick wide on the left. Kevin De Bruyne’s delivery is cleared
by Carvajal.
17 May 2024 21.11 🏀 BST 53 min: Kevin De Bruyne has just exchanged cross
words with Pep Guardiola, apparently annoyed with his manager’s constant 🏀 interference
from the technical area. Pep takes the criticism on board and returns to his seat but
is unlikely to 🏀 stay in it for too long.
17 May 2024 21.09 BST 51 min: Ruben Dias is
booked for a technical foul 🏀 on Vinicius Jr; a “Fernandinho” if you will. Free-kick for
Real Madrid, a few yards outside the City penalty area, 🏀 in line with the right side of
it. David Alaba’s dipping effort is saved superbly by Ederson. That was a 🏀 ridiculously
good shot by the Real Madrid defender. Ruben Dias pulls back Vinicius Junior for a
free-kick to Madrid. Photograph: 🏀 Jon Super/AP
Updated at 21.13 BST
17 May 2024 21.07
BST 51 min: Modric plays a cross-field diagonal to Dani Carvajal in 🏀 space on the right
side of the City penalty area. He’s dispossessed by Rodri.
17 May 2024 21.06 BST 49
min: 🏀 A Bernardo Silva pass out wide to Jack Grealish is intercepted and Real Madrid
break upfield. Silva nips any potential 🏀 counter-attack in the bud with a lung-busting
run to atone for his earlier error.
17 May 2024 21.04 BST 47 min: 🏀 Real Madrid manage to
string a few passes together and dominate possession in the very early stages of this
second 🏀 half. Rodri is fouled by Camavinga and City get a free-kick wide on the
right.
17 May 2024 21.03 BST 46 🏀 min: Kyle Walker dispossesses Vinicius Jr with an
excellent tackle and sends City on their way upfield again.
17 May 2024 🏀 21.02 BST
Second half: Man City 2-0 Real Madrid (agg 3-1) 46 min: Play resumes, although given
the mauling they 🏀 were subjected to in the first half, Real Madrid’s players could have
been forgiven for sneaking out of the stadium 🏀 and heading to the airport. City have
been imperious and it will be fascinating to see what, if anything, the 🏀 reigning
champions can do to stop what seems their relentless march to next month’s final in
Istanbul. There are no 🏀 changes in personnel on either side … yet.
17 May 2024 20.51 BST
An email: “Thibaut Courtois and Bernardo Silva have 🏀 been the outstanding players so
far,” writes Colum Fordham. “Real have the class and guile to come back but City 🏀 have
been utterly dominant and the final should be City-Inter.” “I was going to write that I
feared this match 🏀 might be like that Raiders of the Lost Ark scene where the guy with
the sword does that incredible routine 🏀 of fancy moves, but Indy pulls out a gun and
settles it in a second (I see Modric in the 🏀 Indy role),” writes Joe Johnson. “But
clearly, now they’re a couple up, the swordsman has learnt a thing or two.”
17 🏀 May 2024
20.49 BST Half-time: Manchester City 2-0 Real Madrid (agg 3-1) Peep! The players of
both sides walk off 🏀 for the break with City two goals to the good thanks to a brace
from Bernardo Silva. If anything the 🏀 scoreline flatters Real Madrid, who have been made
to look extremely ordinary and have their goalkeeper to thank for preventing 🏀 City from
scoring more with a couple of outstanding saves. Karim Benzema can’t believe it.
Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Updated at 🏀 20.56 BST
17 May 2024 20.46 BST 45 min:
Kevin De Bruyne picks out Jack Grealish in space at the far 🏀 post but a poor touch from
the City winger lets Real off the hook.
17 May 2024 20.45 BST 43 min: 🏀 City’s players
ping the ball around halfway inside the Real Madrid half, playing keep-ball with ease
as their visitors chase 🏀 shadows. This is a masterclass from City and Real Madrid
incrfeasingly resemble a rabble. THere’ll be a serious half-time inquest 🏀 in their
dressing-room and it will be interesting to see how Carlo Ancelotti attempts to
extricate his side from the 🏀 mess in which they find themselves.
17 May 2024 20.42 BST
41 min: City win a free-kick wide on the right 🏀 touchline. Kevin De Bruyne’s delivery is
flat and put out for a corner. De Bruyne’s outswinger is headed clear, Real 🏀 Madrid lump
the ball forward and Kyle Walker mops up at the back for City.
17 May 2024 20.40 BST 39
🏀 min: While there was no Roberto De Zerbi style kneeslide down the touchline from Pep
Guardiola as Bernardo Silva bagged 🏀 his second goal of the night but City’s manager did
go skipping down the side of the pitch, fist-pumping away 🏀 to his heart’s content.
17
May 2024 20.38 BST GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Real Madrid (agg: 3-1) (Silva 37) City
double 🏀 their lead! Real Madrid give the ball away and City advance upfield with
Grealish on the ball. He plays it 🏀 inside to Gundogan, whose shot is blocked by
Courtois. The ball breaks to Silva, who heads it into the empty 🏀 net from 12 or 13 yards
out. Bernardo Silva scores again for City! Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Images
Updated at 20.45 BST
17 🏀 May 2024 20.36 BST 34 min: Real Madrid win a corner.
Modric sends the ball into the City penalty area, 🏀 where Militao wins the header but is
unable to steer it goalwards. The ball is recycled and Toni Kroos unleashes 🏀 a shot from
distance. It’s on target but Ederson gets a fingertip to the ball and touches it on to
🏀 the woodwork. At last, some signs of life from Real Madrid …
