'Man City's Treble dreams left in tatters by Real'

The initial encounter between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the Champions League resulted in their first-ever penalty shootout.

The Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, calmly walked away from a devastating situation where Manchester City's hope of winning three trophies was destroyed by the strong Champions League team.

As a seasoned football professional, Ancelotti has experienced various scenarios in the game. He has achieved immense success by becoming the sole person to secure the championship four times. However, even the most recognizable expression of surprise in the sport must have been slightly more elevated than usual due to the method of winning in the quarter-final.

Real Madrid won on penalties after the match finished in a 4-4 draw overall, with a 1-1 draw on the night. However, Manchester City will be left to ponder how they managed to not win the game despite dominating it for the most part.

City has experienced agony in the past during their Champions League endeavors, and there will undoubtedly be some emotional wounds from the manner in which they lost this intense and captivating game.

Manager Pep Guardiola's urgent duty is to prevent the exhaustion and discouragement from their recent match from negatively affecting their pursuit of winning both the Premier League and FA Cup. They have a semi-final match against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, and it's crucial that their previous loss doesn't undermine their performance.

In the end, the notable political leader Ancelotti comforted Guardiola by putting his arm around him, giving off the impression that this was just a typical day at work. However, this does not truly capture the intense and disorderly match that had just occurred.

The players from the City team were feeling very sad when they lost to Antonio Rudiger's penalty, which means they won't make it to the semi-final against Bayern Munich. At the same time, it appeared that many people from the Real team, including officials and players, went to the area where their supporters were sitting in a distant corner of the Etihad Stadium.

City defeated Real 4-0 in the second leg of the semi-finals last season, seeking revenge for Ancelotti's team managing to escape defeat with two goals in stoppage time and going on to win at the Bernabeu during the previous campaign's same stage.

During the previous term, City had more attempts at scoring with 16 shots compared to only seven shots from Real Madrid. However, in this current match, City doubled their number of shots with 33 attempts compared to the visitors' eight, but unfortunately, they still ended up with a losing score.

The outcome of the game was determined by the small, subtle elements, which is often the case at this level of competition. City's inability to capitalize on their opportunities prevented them from securing a win that they earned through their overall performance.

At the start, they seemed to have the advantage in penalty kicks as Ederson prevented a goal from Luka Modric. However, Bernardo Silva's intentions are a mystery as he carelessly kicked a poor penalty right into the hands of goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Real Madrid didn't miss the opportunity to make the most of the mistakes made by Mateo Kovacic. The talented goalkeeper, Lunin, continued to showcase his remarkable skills by successfully blocking the penalty shot, leading to a more humiliating defeat for the opposing team.

In the Champions League, it is believed that if you fail to defeat Real Madrid when you have the chance, it might come back to haunt you. Unfortunately, Manchester City has violated this crucial law on two separate occasions.

It would not be fair to judge the performance of the Premier League champions too harshly. They played incredibly well for a long time, putting a lot of pressure on Real and launching a strong attack in the second half. Their efforts were finally rewarded when Kevin De Bruyne scored the equalizer in the 76th minute, cancelling out Rodrygo's earlier goal.

Real Madrid were, in many cases, pushed to their limits and could barely keep up until the end of the game and the opportunity for penalties brought much needed relief.

City and Guardiola will feel disappointed because of this, as they acknowledged the hard work of their players but are uncertain about how they will cope after such a tiring match in every way.

The players from the City team have demonstrated their toughness and endurance in the past, but their current defeat and the surrender of the colossal trophy they earned for the first time against Inter Milan in Istanbul, will be a difficult pill to accept.

Guardiola shared that De Bruyne and Haaland experienced significant mental and physical exhaustion, resulting in their inability to continue. As a result, Julian Alvarez replaced Haaland at the conclusion of the 90 minutes, while De Bruyne was taken out during extra time.

Haaland had a difficult time during the game, as he was unable to get past Real's experienced defence except for the moment when he hit the crossbar with a header in the beginning. Despite his hard work, Haaland hasn't been able to get the same opportunities he is used to lately.

The scene was completely different from that of Real and England's popular player, Jude Bellingham, as he experienced yet another significant moment in his early career.

It was a challenging night for the young 20-year-old who has been a sensation in Spain this season. He struggled along with his teammates as City kept them confined and exhausted them, especially in the latter half of the game.

During a period of intense stress, Bellingham showcased his potential twice, proving why he is considered a top talent, despite not getting the chance to fully exhibit his abilities.

In the lead-up to Rodrygo's goal, Bellingham exhibited impressive skills as he caught a pass from the air. Despite the loud disapproval from City's supporters, he confidently stepped up and converted Real's second penalty after Modric's earlier miss.

After Silva's inability to handle the pressure, things took a turn in Real's direction during the shootout.

The team of Real Madrid is well-known for their consistency in winning, and many would agree that they are likely to secure their 15th victory in this competition, which has changed names multiple times from the European Cup to the Champions League. This would also mean that their coach, Ancelotti, would have five triumphs under his belt.

The situation for City is not good and it will cause great pain, but they need to quickly recover. There are still many important things to consider and compete for.