Real Madrid competes against history and against City

Hard work, but not impossible. Real Madrid have to overcome the Etihad 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabéu, an incredible feat within the reach of the champion of thirteen European Cups, but what has never achieved in the semifinals of the highest club competition. Incredible but true. On the previous eight occasions that the Madrid team was defeated in the first leg of the semifinals, the whites were unable to turn the tie around, either being the second leg at home or on a rival field. A bad precedent for Ancelotti’s team ahead of Wednesday’s important match at the Bernabéu. But the numbers don’t discourage the Real Madrid squad, who are preparing for the second leg against Manchester City as a real battle, the prize for which is in the final in Paris. And in raising the Fourteenth.

The eight semifinals in which Madrid attempted the feat of coming back:

1967-1968. Manchester United: George Best imposed his law

Madrid ye-yé couldn’t beat Matt Busby’s boys. A goal from George Best was enough in the first leg. The return was crazy. Pirri, Gento and Amancio put the Whites ahead in the first 45 minutes. Madrid was a party. But United put emotion with a Zoco own goal. The second half was for the ‘red devils’ and first Sadler and then Foulkes, in the 80′, ended the dream of Miguel Muñoz’s men. United were shot to their first European Cup, after leaving behind the Munich air disaster ten years earlier.

1972-1973. Ajax: Dutch hegemony

The first leg in Amsterdam was resolved as a lesser evil for Madrid. A goal from Pirri in the 83rd minute offset goals from Hulshoff and Ruud Krol for the Dutch (2-1). Not without controversy, since a rigorous foul on Johan Cruyff was the origin of Ajax’s second goal. With the second leg at home and with the double value of away goals, there was optimism in the White House, but the miracle did not work. Gerrie Mühren, after the break, placed Ajax (0-1) on the way to their third consecutive win.

1986-87. Bayern Munich: Juanito’s stomp marked everything

The German Ogre passed over Madrid, directed by Leo Beenhakker, with a stellar Lothar Matthaus. He scored two penalty goals in the first leg of the Munich Olympics. It was the meeting of Juanito’s famous stomp on Matthaus. And Scottish referee Bob Valentine. The turn at the Bernabéu prepared a pressure cooker to intimidate the Germans, but only Madrid would score a goal thanks to Santillana due to the superb performance of goalkeeper Pfaff.

2000-01. Bayern Munich: the champion could not repeat the title

The Germans were superior to the whites both at the Bernabéu and in Munich. on the way, a distant goal from Élber would surprise Casillas to bring Germany a great result (0-1). In the second leg, Madrid did not have a choice either. Élber put Hitzfeld’s men ahead again, Figo equalized but then Jeremies scored the final 2-1 in a strategic move that surprised the Madrid defense. The champion fell in Germany.

2010-2011. Barcelona: storm of Clásicos

Pep Guardiola won the game against Mourinho. The first leg at the Bernabéu was planned as a game of chess that Pepe’s red card for a tackle on Alves marked forever. Messi scored a brace in the final stretch of the clash. In the second leg, according to Mourinho, Madrid had nothing to do. Pedro opened the scoring in the second half, Marcelo made it 1-1. Even, there was controversy over a goal disallowed by Higuaín due to a previous rigorous foul by Cristiano.

2011-2012. Bayern Munich: Ramos penalty to the clouds

A great game for Madrid at the Allianz Arena, but it took a jug of cold water with a goal from Mario Gómez when the match was dying. Ribéry had overtaken the Bavarians. Özil’s goal was worth gold for the second leg in Madrid (2-1). At the Bernabéu, Madrid quickly went up 2-0 on the scoreboard with a brace from Cristiano; Robben leveled the tie before the break. The luck of the penalties deprived Mourinho’s Madrid of playing a European final. Cristiano, Kaká and Ramos failed, who sent him to the stands.

2012-2013. Borussia Dortmund: Lewandowski’s Poker

One of the dream nights of Signal Iduna Park. Lewandowski made a poker to those of Mourinho. Horrible Madridistas in another night to forget. Cristiano’s goal for him (4-1) was a burning nail. And the feat was brushed with fingers. Madrid was the one of the great nights and cornered Klopp’s men, but the goals from Benzema and Ramos came too late (2-0). The feeling that remained was that with 5 more minutes of the game the tie was turned around.

2014-2015. Juventus: Morata’s revenge

The proper name of the tie was Álvaro Morata. The striker had been transferred by Madrid to Juventus, who still had a purchase option. Morata scored in the first leg (2-1, Morata, Tevez and Cristiano). Ancelotti was the Madrid coach who hoped to come back at the Bernabéu and face Barcelona in the final in Berlin. For much of the round it was like that, thanks to Cristiano’s penalty goal, but then Morata appeared again to make his former teammates bitter again. It was one of the best European nights for the Spanish striker.

Six comebacks and six titles

In the entire history of the competition on six occasions a club has managed to turn the tie around in the second leg of the semifinals and subsequently became champion. ANDn 1965, Helenio Herrera’s Inter Milan overcame Liverpool 3-0, 3-1 in the first leg. Then against Benfica he ended up adding his second European Cup.

In 1971, Ajax left Atlético with honey on their lips, who had beaten Rinus Michels’ men with a goal from Irureta in the first leg. In the second leg, the team led by Johan Cruyff won 3-0. In the final, they beat a surprising Panathinaikos.

Liverpool have done it twice. In 1978, Bob Paisley’s men gave Borussia Mönchengladbach no chance with a 3-0 victory that turned Germany’s 2-1 scoreline. In the final they beat Bruges. And the other was in 2019. The most remembered by the culé follower. Barça caressed the final after 3-0 at Camp Nou, but the magical night at Anfield ended with Valverde’s men. In the final, the ‘red’ were better than Tottenham.

In the 1986 edition, Lacatus, Piturca and Belodedici’s Steaua Bucharest came from behind against Anderlecht (1-0 and 0-3) to then surprise Barça in the famous final in Seville.

Another of the clubs that managed to come from behind in their semi-final tie was Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan in 2007. Rooney (2) and Cristiano were able to beat Kaká’s brace at Old Trafford. On the return, the Red-black they were far superior to United (3-0). Then, in the final in Athens, Milan avenged their loss to Liverpool two years earlier. Ancelotti celebrated his second Champions League, then came 2014 with Real Madrid.