The action-packed Tuesday evening of April 9 was marked by five goals scored in the first 20 minutes of the two ties. Both matches kicked into high gear without wasting any time. It was an opening night of the last eight that saw two draws, both of which were thrilling.
Manchester City aims to defend their crown as the newest kings of the world’s biggest football tournament, from the group stage to the final. TNT Sports offers coverage of every game for £29.99 a month. Carlo Ancelotti’s team responded swiftly, gaining a lead with a lucky own-goal from Ruben Dias and a neat finish from Rodrygo.
City’s performance in the second half included stunning strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol, but a volley from Federico Valverde ensured a draw at the Bernabeu. In the other tie, Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane scored for their respective teams, while a second-half goal from Leandro Trossard resulted in a draw. Pundit Carragher was left miffed at missing out on the full action of both games and questioned Carragher’s suggestion.
The group stages had games nicely spread out at 5.55pm and 8pm, but during the quarter-finals, they all vied for prime-time viewing across Europe. With Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both set to play at home, they couldn’t clash on the same day, resulting in a rare sight of teams from the same country playing on the same night. Diego Simeone’s side took the Wednesday slot, resulting in less of a headache for the Spanish capital’s services.
