England – In a nerve-wracking Champions League encounter with fans on the edge of their seats, Real Madrid booked their place in the semi-finals with a penalty shootout victory over Manchester City. The Etihad Stadium witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions as the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the second leg.

The Spanish giants, who held a narrow 3-3 advantage from the first leg, weathered an early City storm before taking the lead through a composed finish by Rodrygo in the 12th minute. City, desperate to avoid another Champions League heartbreak at the hands of Real, piled on the pressure and eventually found their equalizer through Kevin De Bruyne’s thunderbolt in the 76th minute.

As the scores remained tied after regular playtime, the suspense escalated to an all-time high, and the match proceeded to penalties. Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin, unexpectedly starting as the goalkeeper, emerged as the saviour. The young Ukrainian goalie executed two spectacular saves to thwart Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, while City’s Ederson could only manage to stop Luka Modric’s penalty.

Real Madrid’s experience and penalty-taking prowess shone through as Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vázquez, Nacho Fernández, and Antonio Rüdiger converted their spot-kicks. City’s hopes rested on young Julian Alvarez, who coolly slotted his penalty. Phil Foden followed suit, but Ederson’s saved penalty against Karim Benzema proved costly, sending Real through on a 4-3 shootout victory.

This victory signifies yet another dramatic Champions League conquest for the indefatigable Real Madrid. Their relentless spirit and experience overwhelmed a gifted but ultimately disheartened Manchester City team.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich secured their semi-final berth in the other quarter-final clash with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Arsenal. Joshua Kimmich’s goal in the 63rd minute, expertly set up by Rafael Guerreiro, was enough to see the German giants through with a 3-2 aggregate win.

With Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund confirmed for the semi-finals, the stage is set for an enthralling conclusion to the Champions League.