Vinicius Junior was the star of the show with a stunning brace as Real Madrid edged Manchester City 2-1 in their Champions League Round of 16 second leg encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
The Spanish giants had recorded a 3-0 win from the first leg last week and sealed a 5-1 win on aggregate to advance to the quarterfinals of the competition.
Most of the prematch talks were centered on how the Premier League side could turn the tie around and seal a memorable comeback.
However, their task was made difficult in the first half as captain Bernardo Silva was given his marching orders for a handball on the line.
After review by the Video Assistant Referee, a penalty was awarded to Real Madrid while Silva was sent off for stopping an obvious goal.
Vinicius stepped up and sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way to give his side the lead on the night.
Both sides traded chances to o add to the scoreline, but Manchester City grabbed their equalizer and the start of an unlikely comeback as big Norwegian Erling Haaland put the ball past Thibaut Courtois.
Haaland was denied by the goalkeeper and his replacement Lunin, who came on in the second half after an injury to the Belgian shot-stopper.
Real Madrid had one foot in the last eight with the hosts unable to conjure more goals as the game remained deadlocked.
However, Vinicius made another telling contribution in stoppage-time as he ghosted in behind the defence to score a second for Real Madrid, sealing a 2-1 result.
Real Madrid advanced 5-1 on aggregate on the night and advanced to the next round, where they will face either Bayern Munich or Atalanta.
The German champions hold an almost unassailable lead into the second leg on Wednesday, following their 6-1 win in last week’s first leg in Italy.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
