73min: Riyad Mahrez scores and Manchester City lead 1-0 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate
Clair Swindells, Manchester City fan You’re thinking: “Just hang on, 20 minutes.” A couple of lads behind us in the 89th minute booked their tickets to Paris [for the final]. He was trying for five minutes because the signal was so bad and then he was like: “I’ve booked it, I’ve booked it!”
90min: Rodrygo makes it 1-1 on the night, 5-4 on aggregate
Clair Swindells The first Real Madrid goal went in and I thought: “You’ve cursed us.” “I’ve booked my ticket, I’ve booked my ticket,” and then, bang, the goal.
Toñín el Torero, Real Madrid fan Over the PA system they announced “six minutes added” and the Bernabéu erupted. That was the biggest noise we had heard in a long time because we knew six minutes were enough to score as many goals as we needed. We needed one, so we scored one.
Ian Cheeseman, City fan It felt like a tsunami of sound – it was unstoppable. Certain clubs, of which Real Madrid are one, no matter what situation they’re in, have this belief they can turn it over. City, last season particularly, were a bit softer. When that tsunami started to come, City should’ve been able to detect it and – in the nicest possible way – start cheating by time-wasting, sledging, whatever. I love pure football but you don’t always win by being the good guy.
90+1min: Rodrygo scores again to force extra time
Antón Meana, Real Madrid reporter for Cadena Ser radio I saw the Bernabéu tremble. It was like when you’re in a building and you can feel the underground go by beneath you. The Bernabéu vibrated. I will never forget the face of the fans in the last row before the press area, where we were. I saw old people completely out of their minds.
María Hernández, Real Madrid season-ticket holder I remember being up on my seat hugging the people on the row behind me. Usually on that row there are people I know because they go to every game in the league; for this tie they were total unknowns. But in those moments they might as well be the best friend you have known your whole life. Everyone is hugging everyone.
Simon Hart, journalist At full-time before extra time, the Real Madrid fans were chanting: “Sí se puede,” which is: “Yes we can.” Of course they bloody know they can, because they’ve seen it time and time again. I don’t think the comeback was anything to do with tactics. It boils down to the human level, the psychology of football. When a team and a crowd in a place like the Bernabéu come together there’s almost this greater force that carries you on.
Toñín el Torero I have been watching Madrid for 50 years and I have been a socio [member] for 42 years and the City semi-final was the most passionate, the wildest in many years. The Bernabéu is haunted, enchanted, it has these spirits that were left to us by Di Stéfano and Gento and company, and everything is possible there. Those of us who have been socios there for so many years, we know that as long as there’s a minute left, and it only needs to be a minute, there’s a chance. Madrid never surrender.
Some Madrid fans had left early
Javi Martínez, former Bayern Munich player I was there with my son in the stand and saw lots and lots of people leaving. I thought to myself: “I can’t believe they don’t know their own history.” It seemed like Madrid were dead, that they could not do anything, but even if Madrid are 5-0 down you can’t give them up for dead.
Toñín el Torero People of little faith, people who only come occasionally, tourists, people who don’t understand the history and idiosyncrasy of Madrid. I was told some friends went early, that they were pissed off, frustrated at losing to [Pep] Guardiola’s City. But no one is going to admit it, that’s for sure. They would look a bit ridiculous.
95min: Karim Benzema scores the penalty that decides the tie
Ben Beer, City fan It seemed inevitable. I remember the whole of extra time being really flat in our end, and it was like we fell apart a bit. The noise from their support ramped up. When Mahrez scored you think: “Well, it’s not going to get any easier than this.” Then it turned. I spent about £500 so it was a case of: “Thanks a lot lads.”
Clair Swindells Is there a point where you think: “Actually we’re going to be all right here?” Honestly, no. Even winning with 30 seconds to go. In your blood as a City fan you’re always expecting something to go wrong.
Javi Martínez I was divided: Real Madrid is a Spanish team and I have friends there, but I had Pep and all his staff at City [Martínez played for Guardiola at Bayern]. For football lovers it was amazing. I didn’t care who won, so I enjoyed it more because I didn’t have those nerves. It was something magical.
Madrid celebrations go long into the night
Antón Meana After the game, I remember walking round and round the stadium because our programme doesn’t finish until 1.30am so you’re still talking to them, wandering around outside. I remember having the feeling this was like New Year’s Eve when late in the night there are people who don’t want to go home yet, who are looking for some place to keep it going, someone to latch on to to keep the party going.
Toñín el Torero I always park my car in the Colegio San Agustín, a school run by priests on Padre Damián street, right by the ground. Because I had been busy celebrating, in the end they had locked up and I had to go back the next day to get it. Hugs, kisses, beer everywhere, people chucking it over me, all the people. The priests had to lock up. Father Felix gave me a telling off, but no worries. And it was a nice telling off. “No pasa nada.” And anyway, Father Felix is a Madrid fan. And if there’s one thing we all know it’s that God is a Madrid fan.
María Hernández I remember saying: “I have no voice left. I’m a teacher, I’ve got to give a class tomorrow and I can’t like this.” But I didn’t care because the happiness I felt was so intense. When I look back on those videos, my hair still stands up on end. Every Madrid fan has to live a European night at the Bernabéu.
For City fans there is no quick escape
Clair Swindells They kept us in way past midnight: 12.30, quarter to one. That wasn’t the nicest experience. A couple of “comedians” behind me were making some jokes comparing the Bernabéu to Strangeways because they had done a 10-year stretch in the Bernabéu – we’d been kept in that long. Heads were down but there were still some jokes at least.
The teams meet again at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, in a semi-final first leg
Ian Cheeseman City have grown stronger this season with Rúben Dias at the back and the way they’re set up. Rodri is a stronger player than he was last year. John Stones is a stronger player than he was last year. They’ve got a bit more of the dark arts about them.
Ben Beer I’m going again and it feels different: say the first leg doesn’t go in our favour, this time we can come back from it. It feels like there’s a need for revenge.
