Gareth Bale celebrates scoring a goal for Real Madrid against
Manchester City in the Champions League semi final at the Santiago
Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday 4 May 2016 to help the Spanish giants beat
the English side 1-0. Real won 1-0 on aggregate after a goalless draw
in Machester last week.
Image by: Carl Recine / REUTERS
Image by: Carl Recine / REUTERS
Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final for the second time in three years after overcoming Manchester City 1-0 in their semifinal second leg match last night.
Brazilian midfielder Fernando deflected Gareth Bale's cross into his own net after 20 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu for the only goal of the tie after the first leg ended goalless.Fernandinho came close to taking City to their first-ever Champions League final when his shot clipped the outside of the post before half-time.
Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra-time two years ago to win the competition for a 10th time and will be hoping for a repeat when they face them in Milan on May 28.
The hosts were given a huge boost before kick-off as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return after a three-game absence due to a thigh injury.
By contrast, City were dealt a massive injury blow inside 10 minutes when captain Vincent Kompany was forced off once more with a muscle problem.
Eliaquim Mangala was forced on to deputise for Kompany, but City's makeshift defence was not overly troubled despite the presence of Ronaldo and an in-form Bale.
Ronaldo was looking to equal his own record of 17 Champions League goals in a season but sent his first chance well over the bar with a header from Dani Carvajal's cross.
However, Madrid got the luck they needed to swing the tie in their favour with their next attack as Bale was played in on the right of the City box and his intended cross spooned up off Fernando and into the far corner, leaving Joe Hart helpless.
The difference in European pedigree between clubs could not have been starker as Real were playing in their 27th semifinal, while City were doing so for the first time.
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