No Ronaldo no goals
Ten-time champions Real Madrid suffered a setback before kickoff when Cristiano Ronaldo, the leading scorer this season, was ruled out with a thigh injury
Champions League top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was a frustrated spectator as his Real Madrid side played out a slow-burning 0-0 draw at Manchester City in Tuesday's semi-final first leg. Injury prevented the Portuguese superstar from adding to his 16-goal tally and in his absence the visitors were unable to convert the handful of chances they created, with a sensational late Joe Hart save to deny Pepe the closest either side came to a goal at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City are set up to land Real Madrid a knockout blow at the Bernabeu next week and earn a place in the Champions League final, Joe Hart said after his saves helped earn a 0-0 draw in Tuesday's first leg.
The England goalkeeper produced two incredible late stops at the Etihad Stadium to leave the tie hanging in the balance for next week's second leg in the Spanish capital. Hart said he was relishing the challenge.
"We've set it up for a good, old-fashioned rumble at the Bernabeu," said Hart, who made a superb point-blank save from Pepe late on shortly after sticking out a foot to block a goalbound Casemiro header. "Bring it on."
"We are not disappointed with the result. We are ready. We have a brilliant squad who are coming to fruition.
"Big game next week, simple as."
As an occasion, City's first semi-final appearance in the competition was a let-down, but by preventing Madrid from notching an away goal the tie's underdogs safeguarded their hopes of reaching the final ahead of next week's return leg at the Bernabeu.
"We played a very intense game and defended well," said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
"This season we have played very well away. Now we go to the Bernabeu with the same attitude as playing at home.
"Real Madrid must attack a little bit more. You cannot take too much from the first leg. We can see from the second leg who will go through."
Pellegrini, though, will be without David Silva for the second leg after he was forced off by a hamstring injury, while his Madrid counterpart Zinedine Zidane was left sweating on the fitness of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, who went off at half-time.
"I'm happy with the game," said Zidane, who expressed hope that both his ailing forwards will be fit for the return leg.
"We had the ball more in the second half, had a couple of chances. We're a little bit disappointed, because we possibly deserved more.
"Before this game it was 50-50. I think it's still the same, 50-50."
City's semi-final arrival was an event seven and a half years in the making for the club's Emirati owners and there was a carefully stage-managed attempt to generate an atmosphere prior to kick-off, with fans given blue and silver foil flags and a flurry of streamers greeting the teams.
The star attraction, alas, was on the bench, glowering in a grey Real Madrid anorak. Ronaldo took his place among the visiting officials after failing a pre-match fitness test on a thigh strain.
Manchester City are set up to land Real Madrid a knockout blow at the Bernabeu next week and earn a place in the Champions League final, Joe Hart said after his saves helped earn a 0-0 draw in Tuesday's first leg.
The England goalkeeper produced two incredible late stops at the Etihad Stadium to leave the tie hanging in the balance for next week's second leg in the Spanish capital. Hart said he was relishing the challenge.
"We've set it up for a good, old-fashioned rumble at the Bernabeu," said Hart, who made a superb point-blank save from Pepe late on shortly after sticking out a foot to block a goalbound Casemiro header. "Bring it on."
"We are not disappointed with the result. We are ready. We have a brilliant squad who are coming to fruition.
"Big game next week, simple as."
As an occasion, City's first semi-final appearance in the competition was a let-down, but by preventing Madrid from notching an away goal the tie's underdogs safeguarded their hopes of reaching the final ahead of next week's return leg at the Bernabeu.
"We played a very intense game and defended well," said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
"This season we have played very well away. Now we go to the Bernabeu with the same attitude as playing at home.
"Real Madrid must attack a little bit more. You cannot take too much from the first leg. We can see from the second leg who will go through."
Pellegrini, though, will be without David Silva for the second leg after he was forced off by a hamstring injury, while his Madrid counterpart Zinedine Zidane was left sweating on the fitness of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, who went off at half-time.
"I'm happy with the game," said Zidane, who expressed hope that both his ailing forwards will be fit for the return leg.
"We had the ball more in the second half, had a couple of chances. We're a little bit disappointed, because we possibly deserved more.
"Before this game it was 50-50. I think it's still the same, 50-50."
City's semi-final arrival was an event seven and a half years in the making for the club's Emirati owners and there was a carefully stage-managed attempt to generate an atmosphere prior to kick-off, with fans given blue and silver foil flags and a flurry of streamers greeting the teams.
The star attraction, alas, was on the bench, glowering in a grey Real Madrid anorak. Ronaldo took his place among the visiting officials after failing a pre-match fitness test on a thigh strain.