Manchester City and Inter Milan On to the UCL Semi-finals after Kicking Bayern Munich and Benfica Off the League in the 2nd Leg of the Quarterfinals
It has been a night of impeccable football and the rice was surely separated from the chaff, or was it?
Manchester City and Inter Milan have just advanced into the UEFA Champions League Semi-finals after kicking Bayern Munich and Benfica off the league respectively, in the 2nd leg of the UCL Quarterfinals. It has been a night of impeccable football and the rice was surely separated from the chaff, or was it?
Manchester City Proceed to UCL Semi-Finals Despite a 1-All Tie with Bayern Munich
Manchester City started the night with a 3-0 lead on aggregate against Bayern Munich and despite the two teams ending up with a 1-all draw, City's 1st leg read proved priceless as it propelled them into the UCL Semi-Finals with a 4-1 aggregate lead. The game between the two was full of drama, with red cards handed out then rescinded and with penalties awarded to both teams.
Another top performance! 👊
🔴 1-1 🐝 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/MB6xglDGif
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 19, 2023
Drama at Allianz Arena as Red Card Handed Out then Rescinded
It was a night of anticipatory football as Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano was quickly shown a red card after an encounter with Erling Haaland, only for it to be realized that Haaland was offside and the red card rescinded.
A Red for Thomas Tuchel
This incident did not mean nobody was getting a red card from Bayern as it was then shown to manager Thomas Tuchel. What a privilege it is for him to get a red card on his first UEFA Champions League game since becoming Bayern Munich manager... Bravo Tuchel! Bravo!
A Well-Deserved Draw for Both Teams
The match between the two giants ended 1-1 in what was a much-deserved draw for both sides. Erling Haaland, 'The Goal Machine' put Man City ahead with a wonderful score in the 57th minute, 20 minutes after missing a penalty.
Machine 👊 https://t.co/xlDrYa3I5V pic.twitter.com/BaL9wHjipc
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 19, 2023
Kimmich Converts Penalty for Bayern
It was now Bayern Munich's turn and when Akanji touched the ball on a Mane attempt, the German giants got a shot at a penalty. Joshua Kimmich steadily and reliably converted the penalty kick, making it 1-1 in the 83rd minute. However, due to the results of the 1st leg, Man City proceed to the Semi-Finals as a proud Bayern Munich are kicked off the league.
Tactical Tuchel Already Working His Magic
Bayern played really good football and Kingsley Coman was especially on fire. Tuchel, it seems, is already having a tremendous impact on the club. Tuchel may just be the manager Bayern Munich needs to return to its former glory. Thomas Tuchel is one of the youngest managers to ever win the UCL and we're sure he'll be back to make his claim at the title once again.
🗣️ Tuchel: "It's in our own hands. We need to give it everything. We're not alone - we have a good team and we have the fans. We have to go step by step. It's a tough challenge, but we will take it on until the end."#packmas #FCBMCI pic.twitter.com/uklmwrbrW2
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) April 18, 2023
A Milan Derby Semi-Final: Inter Milan Qualifies to the UCL Semi-Finals, Despite a Very Healthy Draw with Benfica
As if the draw gods were overworking yesternight, Inter Milan vs Benfica also ended in a tie, with both teams scoring 3 goals each. Lucky for Inter Milan, they were already ahead 2-0 on aggregate after the 1st leg match and only needed a draw at least to ensure they're onto the Semi-Finals.
3-3 is the Final Score in a Thrilling Preview of What to Expect from the Milan Derby Champions League Semi-Final
Nicolo Barella opened the scoring putting Inter ahead in the 14th minute while Fredrick Ausnes scored Benfica's first in the 38th minute. Lautaro Martinez made it 2-1 for Inter in the 65th minute with Joaquin Correa making it 3-1 in the 78th minute. Antonio Silva then came to the rescue for Benfica and put in their second in the 86th minute, with Petar Musa restoring their pride in stoppage time by making it 3-3.
Inter are Champions League semi-finalists! ⚫🔵 pic.twitter.com/lwyMpYX2Ob
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 19, 2023
UCL 2022-23 Semi-Finals: Real Madrid vs Manchester City and AC Milan vs Inter Milan
The first leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals will be played on 9th May 2023 as Inter Milan face AC Milan and Man City face Real Madrid. You can read the results from the other two Quarterfinals encounters and how AC Milan and Real Madrid secured their spots below.
