Pep Guardiola Reacts To Man City 1-1 Draw Against Real Madrid In The UCL First Leg Semi-final.

It was a tense affair in the first leg of the 2022-23 Champions League semi-final between reigning European champions Real Madrid and Premier League champions Manchester City that ended 1-1.

The encounter was a rematch of last season's dramatic last-four contest, holders Madrid went into the 90th minute of the second leg at the Bernabeu trailing by two goals and somehow came back to win the game in extra time.

Pep Guardiola's team dominated the match in the early stages at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Thibaut Courtois denying De Bruyne, Rodri and Erling Haaland twice.

But it was Real who took the lead as Vinicius Junior netted a brilliant curling strike from the edge of the area in the 36th minute.

Real got back on top in the second half and took control, but it was City who scored after they won the ball high up the pitch and it was worked to De Bruyne who rifled a shot into the net to the goalkeeper’s right.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti was shown a yellow card for protesting against the Belgian's equaliser in the 67th minute.

The Italian was adamant the ball went out of play in the build-up to the sensational strike when Bernardo Silva stretched for the ball, but the move resumed before De Bruyne fired into the net from outside the box.

Ancelotti accused the referee of lacking focus throughout the match.

The result leaves the tie in the balance heading into next Wednesday’s mouth-watering second leg clash in Manchester, where both teams will fancy their chances of emerging victorious.

City knows that any win next Wednesday against Madrid will send them to only their second Champions League final, against either Inter Milan or AC Milan.

Speaking to BT Sport after the match, Guardiola said: "We were better when they scored, they were better when we scored. It was a tight game. Real Madrid in the semi-final is always a tough one. We turned up, we had good moments, it's difficult with the quality they have on and off the ball. 1-1, final next Wednesday with our people.

"We started really well in the first-half, but then they made a lot of passes, they are really, really good at that," he added. 

"But after we scored a really good goal from Kevin, we had good moments. They had a few good chances. I'd have liked to win but I had the feeling that I was not expecting to have a wide result.

"If you expect us to come here and win by six goals, it's your problem. Madrid knows this competition more than anyone."

With City's star striker Erling Haaland largely neutralised by Real's defence, Guardiola says he has an idea about how his team can beat Real Madrid in the second leg next week; 

“We expect to adjust a bit in the second leg. I have a bit of an idea on what we need to do... He told City's official website.

“It will be a final playing at home with our people and we look forward to it. We know exactly what [Real] have done. Maybe they will adjust something, maybe not.

“We have to see if we can defend a little bit better in some departments and attack because [David] Alaba and [Antonio] Rudiger were so close to Erling. The spaces were occupied by [Federico] Valverde and [Toni] Kroos, it was not easy to find spaces for Erling.

“But we will try to adjust something maybe in the second leg to be more fluid and play with a bit more rhythm because we play at home and at home we feel comfortable with our people. We are going to try.”

City have never lifted the trophy but Madrid have won it a record 14 times, including five in the last nine seasons.

Madrid and City have now played each other nine times; they have three wins a piece and three draws.

The first leg of the other semifinal between Italian rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan is on Wednesday night at the San Siro.