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PIX: Kane returns to haunt Arsenal; Real Madrid hold Manchester City

April 10, 2024 04:33 IST

A summary of Tuesday's first leg quarter-final matches in the UEFA Champions League.  

Harry Kane celebrates scoring Bayern Munich's second goal with Serge Gnabry during the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Emirates Stadium, London, on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Harry Kane celebrates scoring Bayern Munich's second goal with Serge Gnabry during the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, London, on Tuesday. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane returned to north London to score his customary goal against Arsenal as the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie ended 2-2 on Tuesday.

The former Tottenham Hotspur player, so often Arsenal's nemesis in north London derbies, stroked home a penalty in the 32nd minute as the Bundesliga side hit back to lead 2-1.

Premier League leaders Arsenal, playing in their first Champions League quarter-final for 14 years, had gone in front early on with a clinical Bukayo Saka strike.

 

But Bayern, whose reign as German champions is as good as over as they trail Bayer Leverkusen by 16 points, showed they remain a European force to be reckoned with.

Arsenal were stunned as their former striker Serge Gnabry levelled six minutes later and Kane rolled home his 39th goal of an incredible first season for Bayern after Leroy Sane was brought down by William Saliba in the box.

Mikel Arteta's side ensured they will head to Bavaria next Wednesday full of hope as substitute Leandro Trossard equalised in the 76th minute to leave the tie hanging in the balance.

The return of Kane, who scored a record 14 goals for Tottenham in the north London derby, to one of his favourite haunts was the big pre-match talking point.

And he duly silenced the Arsenal jeers.

"It wasn't an easy game," Kane said. "Arsenal are a really good team. They're top of the Premier League right now so we had to dig deep at times but it's a good result and hopefully we can make the difference at home."

Predictably, Kane was booed every time he touched the ball although the England captain was hardly involved in the early exchanges as Arsenal seized the initiative.

Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring Arsenal's opening goal.

IMAGE: Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring Arsenal's opening goal. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Six-time champions Bayern, seeking salvation in Europe after a poor domestic season, were handicapped by having no fans inside the Emirates Stadium as punishment for their supporters throwing fireworks in the previous round.

They went behind in the 12th minute when Ben White played the ball inside to Saka who picked his spot and curled a low left-footed shot beyond Manuel Neuer.

White should have made it 2-0 soon afterwards but shot straight at Neuer and then Arsenal's defence, so impregnable in the Premier League of late, suddenly went missing.

They carelessly lost possession in the 18th minute and Bayern punished them as Leon Goretzka fed a perfect pass to Gnabry who clipped a finish past the on-rushing David Raya.

Sane was than allowed to run and run from deep before being toppled by Saliba and referee Glenn Nyberg had the simplest decision to point to the penalty spot.

Up stepped an ice-cool Kane, and despite the whistles no one expected him to miss as he sent Raya the wrong way.

The 60,000 crowd suddenly went quiet as memories of heavy European defeats by Bayern, notably a 10-2 aggregate defeat in the last 16 in 2017, flooded back and it would have got worse but for a goal-saving tackle by White on Sane.

Bayern, with another former Spurs player Eric Dier impressive in defence, looked comfortable after the break.

Arteta sent on Trossard and Gabriel Jesus just past the midway point of the second half. They combined in the 76th minute as Jesus fed Trossard to slot a low shot inside the post.

A frantic ending saw Bayern substitute Kingsley Coman strike the post from close range while the game ended with Arsenal screaming for a penalty after Saka went down in the area claiming he was fouled by Neuer.

Security was stepped up ahead of the game after Islamic State threatened drone attacks on Europe's top club tournament but thankfully the game passed off without incident.

Manchester City hold Real Madrid in six-goal thriller

Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga scores with a long-range strike, the ball deflecting off defender Ruben Dias in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.

IMAGE: Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga scores with a long-range strike, the ball deflecting off defender Ruben Dias, in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

Real Madrid and Manchester City slugged out a thrilling 3-3 draw in a rip-roaring Champions League quarter-final clash under the Bernabeu stadium roof, leaving the tie between the last two holders of the trophy wide open for the second leg.

Federico Valverde salvaged a draw for Real late on after City had taken a 3-2 lead with sumptuous strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol following a Ruben Dias own goal and Rodrygo strike that gave the hosts a half-time lead in Spain's capital.

The noisy home crowd had been left stunned after two minutes when City midfielder Bernardo Silva took advantage of a one-man wall to drill a low free kick from 40 metres just inside Andriy Lunin's post to give the visitors the lead.

It was a schoolboy error by the Ukrainian who seemed to have been waiting for a cross and left his right side unguarded. He got a hand on the ball but could not keep it out.

To make things worse, Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, playing as an emergency centre back, was shown a yellow card for the foul on Jack Grealish that led to the goal and will miss the return leg in Manchester next Wednesday.

Without midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who was left on the bench after illness, City tried to make the most of Real's sloppy start and could have extended their lead.

However, Erling Haaland was denied by Lunin before Grealish had a shot blocked and Haaland could not capitalise on the rebound, leaving City to rue their missed chances.

Josko Gvardiol celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal with Bernardo Silva

IMAGE: Josko Gvardiol celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal with Bernardo Silva. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

Eduardo Camavinga soon helped level the scores after 12 minutes when his long-range strike deflected off defender Dias for an own goal after wrongfooting keeper Stefan Ortega.

Two minutes later Vinicius Jr delivered a brilliant through ball that Rodrygo took in his stride before his weak shot was deflected off Manuel Akanji's heel to give the hosts the lead.

Real had the momentum and should have extended their lead but were wasteful. Rodrygo misfired twice from the edge of the box late in the first half and then Vinicius blasted a close-range strike over the bar early in the second half.

But just as Real looked set to grab a third, the visitors levelled in the 66th minute with a stunning Foden strike into the top corner and went ahead as Gvardiol fired home in similar fashion five minutes later for his first City goal.

Real were not to be beaten, though, and Valverde produced a glorious volley in the 79th minute to rescue a draw on another epic Champions League night that left the fans eager for more in the second leg in Manchester next week.

It was another epic encounter as the teams faced each other in a Champions League knockout tie for a third year running.

Real eliminated City in the 2022 semi-finals but Pep Guardiola's side gained revenge a year later at the same stage. The winners of the tie ended up lifting the trophy both times.

Source: REUTERS
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