Semenyo's debut Champions League campaign ends as Madrid complete double over City

2026-03-18 - 02:42

Antoine Semenyo featured again as Real Madrid put the finishing touches on a ruthless aggregate victory over Manchester City, ending the Ghanaian's first Champions League adventure at the round of 16 stage. Having already done the hard work in Spain with a 3-0 first-leg win, the Spanish giants arrived at the Etihad with little left to prove. But they continued with mercilessness anyway, extinguishing any faint hopes of a City comeback. A penalty from Vinícius JÃonior—awarded after Bernardo Silva's handball—was followed by Silva's red card, leaving the home side to play out the remainder of the tie as a formality. Semenyo, who started the first leg at the Bernabeu on his Champions League debut, began this one on the bench. By the time he might have been called upon, the damage had already been done. For the 26-year-old, whose path from non-league football with Bath City to Europe's grandest stage has been nothing short of remarkable, the experience—however brief—will count for something. There will be other seasons, other campaigns. But this one ends earlier than City had hoped. Real Madrid, as they so often do, march on. Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.