On Tuesday evening, the first semifinal match of the UEFA Champions League took place. The local fans supported "Manchester City" faced Madrid's "Real" at the "Etihad" stadium. For the first time in the semifinal stage, Manuel Pellegrini's team managed to withstand the 2014 champions and the match ended goalless. Zinedine Zidane received bad news before the match - Cristiano Ronaldo was not fully prepared to play, so "Real" had to do without their leader. Also, after the first half, Karim Benzema left the field due to an injury. The first half was dominated by cautious football. Neither team managed to make a dangerous shot on goal, so after the first 45 minutes, the scoreboard showed two zeros. It is worth mentioning that "City" also lost one of their key players at the end of the first half - Kelechi Iheanacho replaced the injured David Silva. The second half started similarly. Initially, Pellegrini's team seemed more active, but later the initiative was taken over by the visiting team from Spain led by Gareth Bale. In the 54th minute, Joe Hart's alertness was tested by the opponents' captain, Sergio Ramos. After 16 minutes, Jese Rodriguez took another shot, but his header hit the crossbar. In the 74th minute, a dangerous attack was launched by G. Bale, but his shot missed the target. With 10 minutes left in the game, J. Hart demonstrated true mastery. In the 80th minute, the goalkeeper reacted to Casemiro's shot, and just a few minutes later, he repelled an incredible attempt by Pepe. The Portuguese found himself alone against the Englishman after a corner kick, but J. Hart managed to block the shot from a few meters away. The return match between these two teams in Madrid will take place next Wednesday. Result: "Manchester City" 0 - 0 "Real Madrid" Starting lineups: "Man City": Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas, Silva, De Bruyne, Aguero. Substitutes: Caballero, Mangala, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Delph, Sterling, Iheanacho. "Real": Navas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Lucas Vazquez, Bale, Benzema. Substitutes: Kiko, Varane, James, Kovacic, Jese, Isco, Danilo.
