Real Madrid secured their place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Manchester City on Wednesday night. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Real Madrid eventually prevailing 4-3 on penalties.

It was a fiercely contested tie, with both teams displaying their attacking prowess in the first leg, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw in Madrid. Going into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, City was considered favorites to advance but faced stiff competition from the 14-time European champions.

Real Madrid took the lead in the 12th minute through a well-worked goal by Rodrygo. An excellent display of control by Jude Bellingham set up the chance, allowing Federico Valverde and Vinícius Jr. to combine and send a cross to Rodrygo, who made no mistake with his second attempt after his initial shot was saved and rebounded back to him.

City responded energetically and came close to equalizing when Erling Haaland rattled the bar with a powerful header, followed by attempts from Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. Eventually, De Bruyne found the back of the net with a sublime shot into the top corner after Jérémy Doku's delivery.

With the score level at 1-1, both teams pushed for a winning goal, but solid defending from Real Madrid kept City at bay. The 90 minutes and extra time concluded with an aggregate score of 4-4, leading to a tense penalty shootout.

The shootout witnessed a mix of remarkable saves and wasted opportunities. Luka Modrić saw his penalty saved by Ederson, but City failed to capitalize as Bernardo Silva sent his effort straight to Real Madrid's goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. Lunin then made a crucial save against Mateo Kovačić, shifting the momentum in Real Madrid's favor.

Lucas Vázquez, Phil Foden, Nacho, and Ederson all successfully converted their penalties before Antonio Rüdiger sealed Real Madrid's victory by confidently striking the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Real Madrid's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, expressed his delight with his team's performance, stating, "We showed the attitude and commitment demanded by this jersey. Everyone was writing us off, but we're still here."

For Manchester City, their hopes of achieving a historic treble have been dashed. With their Champions League campaign over, they must now shift their focus to the upcoming FA Cup semifinal clash against Chelsea.

City manager Pep Guardiola praised Real Madrid's resolute defense, saying, "Congratulations to Real Madrid - they defended so deep with incredible solidarity. We did everything, both defensively and offensively, but unfortunately, we could not win."

Real Madrid's victory sets up an exciting Champions League semifinal clash with Bayern Munich, promising another thrilling encounter in Europe's premier club competition.