Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City: Player ratings for Los Blancos as De Bruyne cancels Vinicius' wonder goal | UEFA Champions League 2022-23

Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester City in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, May 9 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Kevin De Bruyne canceled out Vinicius Junior's opener to leave the tie in the balance ahead of the second leg next week.

Los Blancos were the better side in the opening stanza and went in front in the 36th minute through a spectacular effort from Vinicius.

Manchester City had their chances, but Thibaut Courtois denied De Bruyne and Rodri as the visitors were heading towards a defeat.

However, the momentum shifted after the break with Pep Guardiola's side looking more dangerous and probing Madrid's defense with greater scrutiny.

In the 67th minute, De Bruyne finally pulled the Sky Blues level with a wonderful strike into the bottom corner after being set up by Ilkay Gundogan.

Real Madrid, who beat City 3-1 at home in the Champions League semi-finals last year, pushed for a winner in the closing stages. However, they couldn't get on the scoresheet again as Ederson made important saves to deny efforts from Karim Benzema and Aurelien Tchouameni.

It's all to play for in the deciding leg at the Etihad next Wednesday.

Here are the player ratings for Real Madrid:

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Thibaut Courtois - 7.5/10

The Real Madrid custodian rose to the challenge and made five saves on the night, including a vital one on his international teammate Kevin De Bruyne in the 52nd minute. His excellent reading of the game also allowed him to come off his line quickly to clear away any danger.

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Dani Carvajal - 7/10

Carvajal was a real force of nature on the right flank with his crucial blocks and perfectly timed challenges. He dealt superbly with Jack Grealish while also blocking Ilkay Gundogan's long-range effort in the fifth minute.

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Antonio Rudiger - 7/10

Rudiger showed excellent positional awareness during the match, making three clearances and one interception. He also made a vital block on Gundogan's attempt to find Haaland and impeded City's attack.

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David Alaba - 6.5/10

Alaba was largely overshadowed by better players on the night, but his sliding tackle to stop Haaland from getting a shot off in the 55th minute was pure quality.

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Eduardo Camavinga - 7.5/10

A fireball of energy, the Frenchman ran up and down the pitch with poise and purpose, while also setting up Vincius for his goal. He also won a staggering nine ground duels and made five tackles.

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Federico Valverde - 6.5/10

An excellent burst of pace down the middle saw him create a wonderful chance for Benzema, who couldn't quite connect with the ball. The Uruguayan midfielder coped well with City's pressure in midfield and made two clearances and tackles each.

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Toni Kroos - 7/10

Kroos had the vision to pick out his teammates in dangerous positions while also making four interceptions and two tackles. He played two key passes in the match and completed five of his six long ball attempts.

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Luka Modric - 7/10

The Croatian was everywhere on the pitch for the Champions League holders with his exemplary work-ethic. He had a 94% passing accuracy and played two key passes. Modric was involved in the build-up to Vinicius' goal by releasing Camavinga on the left wing.

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Rodrygo - 6/10

The Brazilian was on the fringes for large spells of the game and failed to muster a single shot on target. None of his three crosses found their target either.

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Karim Benzema - 6/10

Benzema was on the receiving end of some good crosses but couldn't connect well with any of them. His three-game scoring run against City came to an end.

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Vinicius Junior - 8/10

The Brazilian winger got Real Madrid in front with a sensational strike in the 36th minute and remained a menace to the visitors with his piercing runs. He completed five dribbles and won nine ground duels.

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Substitutes

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Marco Asensio (81' for Rodrygo) - 5/10

The Spaniard was thrown in to fire up Real Madrid's attack for the final moments of the game, but didn't have a significant impact.

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Aurelien Tchouameni (84' for Kroos) - 6.5/10

The Frenchman almost made it 2-1 for Real Madrid in the closing stages with a venomous strike from range, but Ederson palmed the effort over the bar.

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Nacho Fernandez (87' for Modric) - N/A

Nacho didn't have enough time to make an impact.