Madrid, Dec 9 (IANS) As Real Madrid prepare to meet Manchester City for a fifth consecutive Champions League season, Madrid winger Rodrygo walks down memory lane as he thinks back to his “most unforgettable moment” from the semifinal meeting in 2022, when he scored his first goal.

In each of the past four seasons, one side has eliminated the other from the knockout phase, and the pair have claimed three titles between them in that span: Real Madrid in 2021/22 and 2023/24 and Manchester City in 2022/23.

The two teams have played a total of 14 matches since their first encounter in the 2012/13 season. Over the last six seasons, they have faced each other 10 times and produced memorable moments in each of the five two-legged knockout ties.

Real Madrid prevailed on three occasions, with special mention going to the semi-final comeback that secured our ticket to win the Decimocuarta in Paris in 2022.

“I think that’s my most unforgettable football moment,” Rodrygo told UEFA. “The most important moment was after I scored the first goal, when the fourth official showed six minutes of added time,” he explained. “It felt as if we had scored another goal – the fans went crazy. Right after that, I scored my second goal.”

Karim Benzema’s 95th-minute penalty then sent the hosts to the final, where they defeated Liverpool 1-0 to earn a 14th crown in the competition.

Los Blancos ended up on the losing side in the following year’s semi-final rematch, Manchester City sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory on the way to their maiden Champions League title.

Rodrygo found himself back on the scoresheet and on the winning side in 2023/24 as Real Madrid earned a penalty-shootout triumph in the quarterfinals.

“The first leg was an amazing match, a spectacle,” Rodrygo said of the 3-3 draw in Madrid. “It captured the essence of all the Manchester City versus Real Madrid games in the previous years. It was great and, for me, it was a privilege being on the pitch and scoring that day.”

The Brazilian then struck Real Madrid’s only goal as a 1-1 draw followed in Manchester, Carlo Ancelotti’s charges prevailing through dogged defending and a 4-3 penalty shootout victory.

“The match in England against them was a tough one. I was lucky enough to score again, but we struggled a lot throughout the match,” Rodrygo recalled.

Los Blancos then defeated Bayern München in the semi-finals and Borussia Dortmund in the showpiece to extend their record tally of European Cup/Champions League titles to 15.

–IANS

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