Manchester City’s Phil Foden, centre, celebrates with head coach Pep Guardiola after scoring his side’s second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg football match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Breton).
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid and Manchester City drew 3-3 in a frantic first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Tuesday, with the first three goals coming in the opening 14 minutes before the rivals exchanged blows again in the second half.
Federico Valverde scored a 79th-minute equalizer for Madrid after City had rallied with Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scoring goals five minutes apart midway through the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Bernardo Silva had put City ahead two minutes into the match, but Madrid rallied with an own-goal by City defender Rúben Dias in the 12th and a score by forward Rodrygo in the 14th.
The second leg will be next Wednesday in Manchester.
It is the third consecutive encounter between the clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Madrid eliminated City in the semifinals in 2022, while City got the best of Madrid at the same stage last year. Both teams went on to win the title after eliminating their rivals.
The match at the Bernabeu went on as scheduled despite of a possible terror threat by the Islamic State, with no security incidents being immediately reported.
