Real Madrid stunned the world of soccer by coming from 2-0, 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3 down to beat Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate in their Champions League semi-final.
City had won the first leg 4-3 in Manchester and led 1-0 in Madrid with 40 seconds of normal time remaining.
Real had not registered a single shot on target in the second leg up to this point, but Rodrygo scored twice at the death to send the game to extra time.
Karim Benzema then converted a penalty in extra time to complete a remarkable turnaround that left fans, players and pundits shocked.
Karim Benzema pictured celebrating after scoring the winning goal in Real Madrid’s 6-5 aggregate victory over Man City
IMAGO/NurPhoto
Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi was among those following the action at home who could not believe their eyes.
Messi sent a text to former Argentina teammate Sergio Aguero, who read it out during a live stream on ESPN Star.
Aguero, who was appearing on the stream alongside fellow ex-City striker Carlos Tevez, claimed that Messi’s message arrived after Benzema’s goal at the Bernabeu.
According to Aguero, Messi wrote: “Stop f***ing around! It can’t be!”
Messi is the godfather to Aguero’s son Benjamin.
Real have made a habit of coming from behind to win in the Champions League this season.
Messi’s PSG led Real 2-0 on aggregate going into the final half-hour of their last 16 encounter, before Benzema scored a 17-minute hat-trick.
Lionel Messi failed to convert a penalty during PSG’s two-legged loss to Real earlier this season
IMAGO/Pierre Stevenin
Real were then 10 minutes from elimination at the hands of Chelsea in the quarter-finals, before another late Rodrygo strike forced extra-time, where Benzema scored the winner.
Liverpool will provide the opposition for Real in the final on May 28.
