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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Sid Lowe at the Bernabéu

Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City: Champions League semi-final ratings

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his second goal to take the game into extra time
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his second goal to take the game into extra time. Photograph: Bernat Armangué/AP

Real Madrid

Thibaut Courtois Did what he does: produced excellent saves, particularly from Cancelo, to keep Madrid alive. 8

Dani Carvajal Defended superbly and attacked to devastating effect, delivering the cross for the equaliser. 8

Nacho Replaced the injured Alaba and didn’t put a foot wrong, as ever. 8

Éder Militão Lives on edge but somehow that suits the lunacy. Exhausted by the end having run himself into the ground. 8

Ferland Mendy Produced a miraculous goalline clearance that set up an even greater miracle. 8

Fede Valverde Has enough energy for everyone: defender, midfielder and attacker in one. Tireless again. 9

Luka Modric Played as a No 10 but biggest roar came when he chased down De Bruyne. Departure momentarily deflated this place. 6

Casemiro That cloak of invisibility still works: fortunate to escape two (dark) yellows. Tired noticeably. 5

Toni Kroos Deflected free-kick curled just over. Unable to run the game, the first man withdrawn again, and it worked again. 5

Karim Benzema scores Real Madrid’s winner from the penalty spot
Karim Benzema makes no mistake from the penalty spot. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Vinícius Júnior Appealed for fans to get on their feet after 45 seconds and was still doing so 120 minutes later. 8

Karim Benzema Unable to take the kind of chances with which he carried Madrid here; was never going to miss the penalty. 8

Substitutes
Rodrygo
(for Kroos 68) Just incredible. Scored two and provided the pass that rescued Real Madrid yet again, 10; Marco Asensio (for Casemiro 75) Came on to help lead the final charge, an extra striker as Madrid sought and found a miracle, 7; Eduardo Camavinga (for Modric 75) Always comes on, always to enormous effect – makes Madrid a better team, an extraordinary career awaits, 8; Jesús Vallejo (for Militão 115); Dani Ceballos (for Benzema 104); Lucas Vázquez (for Vinícius 115).

Manchester City

Ederson Warned early for time-wasting. Denied Madrid a third goal in added time, couldn’t save the penalty in extra time. 5

Kyle Walker Showed his speed in vital tackle on an escaping Vinicíus but started to struggle. 7

Rúben Dias Steady, strong presence, until he was drawn into the foul that gave away the penalty that won this. 6

Aymeric Laporte An unnecessary confrontation earned an early yellow in an uneasy start, but improved. 6

João Cancelo Returning from injury and perhaps it showed, unable to threaten on either side and uneasy defensively. 6

Kevin De Bruyne Smoothly moving through the space in midfield, his passing crisp. City’s best player, surprisingly withdrawn. 8

Rodri A calm, tidy if not enormously influential presence in the middle, alert when Madrid threatened. 6

Bernardo Silva Superb run, if partly unopposed, and set up what looked like being the winning goal. 6

Riyad Mahrez Spent a difficult night with Guardiola in his ear and then thought he had won it with a smashing finish. 6

Gabriel Jesus Flashed a shot just past the top corner early on. Moved from middle to left, offering an outlet. 6

Phil Foden Moved in from the left to false 9, but unable to decisively influence this or really escape Madrid. 5

Substitutes
Oleksandr Zinchenko
(for Walker 72); Ilkay Gündogan (for De Bruyne 72); Jack Grealish (for Jesus 78) Had two clear chances that would surely have confirmed City’s passage to the final, 5; Fernandinho (for Mahrez 85) Came on to see the game out and saw it become revived instead, 6; Raheem Sterling (for Rodri 99).

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