The two sides will meet again next Wednesday at the Etihad to decide who reaches the Champions League final, after Vinicius Jnr’s excellent goal was cancelled out an equally impressive strike from Kevin De Bruyne last night.
Spanish outlets have set the scene for next week’s clash, with Marca describing it as the ‘final at the Etihad’ while AS Sport ran with the headline ‘see you in Manchester’.
While it wasn’t the perfect outcome for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to fail to take away a lead into the second-leg, Spanish press had a number of reasons to be optimistic following their performance.
There was praise for former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, in how he kept Erling Haaland quiet.
The Norwegian striker who has scored 51 goals in all competitions, failed to make an impact – having one of his most quiet outings since he joined the club from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
AS Sport claimed that Rudiger ‘annulled’ Haaland while Marca also pointed out how the City striker was kept quiet by the German international.
Despite the stalemate, Marca also claimed that Ancelotti’s plan on the night was ‘more effective’ than that of his counterpart Pep Guardiola.
They wrote: ‘Vinicius scored with Real Madrid’s first shot when City dominated the most.
‘De Bruyne equalises at the best moment for Ancelotti’s side. The Italian’s plan is more effective than Guardiola’s.’
AS Sport meanwhile stated that ‘the Etihad will decide the finalist after an intense and even match at the Bernabeu.’
They also include a quote from Ancelotti who said: ‘The result does not reward us.’
Haaland was savaged by the foreign press in their match ratings following his performance last night.
