It will be an all-Madrid Champions League final after an inspired display by star midfielder Gareth Bale saw Real outlast Manchester City 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Madrid will bid for a record 11th title on May 28 in Milan when they take on city rivals Atletico in a repeat of the 2014 final, won 4-1 by Real in extra time.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico advanced from their second leg semi-final on the away-goals rule despite a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in Germany on Tuesday.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, a final berth was up for grabs after the first leg ended in a 0-0 draw in Manchester last week.
But Manuel Pellegrini’s team were rocked by the early departure of captain colossus Vincent Kompany in the eighth minute with a thigh problem, as the injury-plagued Belgian left the arena early for the umpteenth time this season.
And it was former Tottenham stalwart Bale who landed the knockout blow as he beat City’s offside trap in the box following a splendid run and pass by Dani Carvajal in the 20th minute, and fired in a cross-cum-shot that took a deflection off Fernando and looped over the outstretched hand of City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Fernando got just the slightest of touches, but it was deemed an own goal.
City fought back and nearly grabbed the equaliser just before halftime when Fernandinho was put into space by Kevin de Bruyne near the 18-yard area, but his right-footed shot was dragged to the left and struck the outside of the upright.
A better option may have been to go across Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but arguably City’s best chance of the night was lost.
It was all Real after the break as Zinedine Zidane’s men pushed forward, and they could easily have added three more to the scoreboard as Bale set up Cristiano Ronaldo with a wonderful ball over the top in the 50th minute, but the under-par Portuguese maestro – who was still showing signs of his thigh injury – was unable to get a touch with his left foot.
Welsh wizard Bale was the provider again two minutes later when his deft chip found an unmarked Luka Modric in the box with just Hart to beat, but the ex-Tottenham star couldn’t get the bouncing ball under control quickly enough and Hart came out to smother the danger.
In a breathtaking five-minute spell, Zidane must’ve wondered what more his team needed to do to get a second goal as Carvajal’s cross was met by Ronaldo, but a weak header was well-saved by Hart again.
After the hour mark, Bale’s glancing header hit the crossbar, and it kept a struggling City in the game.
And it so nearly paid off for the visitors, as Sergio Aguero let rip with a blistering drive from long range, but it just skimmed the crossbar.
The defeat heralds the end of Pellegrini’s stint in Europe as City’s manager, with Pep Guardiola moving from Bayern to Manchester in the summer.
For Zidane, though, the Champions League final – at the San Siro in Milan on May 28 – presents him with a chance to clinch the trophy as a manager after winning it with Madrid as a player.
But before that, the Frenchman will hope that his team can triumph in La Liga as well as Real are just a point behind Barcelona and Atletico, with Barca leading on goal difference with two matches to go over the next two weekends.
@IndyCapeSport