Last year, Erling Haaland left Santiago Bernabeu having endured perhaps his quietest performance in a Manchester City shirt. In the midst of one of the great goal-scoring campaigns, the Norwegian forward had been silenced, predominantly by Antonio Rudiger. That night, Madrid and City played out an intriguing yet somewhat forgettable 1-1 draw with Real Madrid. One year on, Haaland was quietened again on Tuesday by Rudiger, but the fabric of the match was entirely different.
It wasn't supposed to look like this, though. Both managers deployed line-ups with control and solidity in mind, and thus the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final should have been a cagey affair. The reality was the opposite, as control gave way to chaos in the most memorable of 3-3 thrillers.
City only needed two minutes to take the lead, as Bernardo Silva's whipped free-kick caught Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin napping at his near post. Los Blancos responded swiftly, though, as goals from first Eduardo Camavinga, then Rodrygo overturned the early deficit within 15 minutes.
What played out from there was a feisty clash, with tackles and confrontation aplenty. But there was also some football to be played, something Phil Foden proved with a fine curled effort that brought City back into the game, and capped yet another wonderful performance from one of 2024's top contenders for the Ballon d'Or.
Josko Gvardiol added a third for City within five minutes, as the defender smashed in his own long-range effort, only for Madrid to have the final word, as Federico Valverde volleyed home Vinicius Jr's cross to cap off an instant classic.
This wasn't the game that many would have predicted - least of all Haaland - but leaves the tie balanced perfectly ahead of the second leg on April 17.
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