Champions League vs. Real Madrid: City’s brutal monologue – Sport

The Champions League final in Istanbul on June 10 is likely to be a soliloquy. Thanks to a brilliant performance, Manchester City defeated the Spanish record champions Real Madrid 4-0 (2-0) in the second leg of the semi-finals – and knocked the defending champions off the continental throne. City will meet Inter Milan in the final – a side who sealed the previous night’s semi-final win over neighbors AC Milan. And now she has to reckon that the designated English champions and FA Cup finalists will hide the ball from her in the final. Because that’s what happened to the brutally humiliated Real Madrid on Wednesday. Real went down in a sea of ​​passes in such a way that it would have been appropriate to throw life jackets onto the field. The force of the defeat will trigger discussions about Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. His contract runs until 2024.

Especially in the first half, the game was what the final threatens to be: a brutal monologue from City. No one knows how the game would have gone if Toni Kroos’ long-range shot, blessed with brutal beauty, had landed in the City goal’s net (35′). But he only shook the crossbar when the score was 0-1 from Madrid’s point of view. It was the only chance Madrid had in the first 45 minutes.

It probably would have been the only option Real Madrid had on Wednesday: to score from scratch, as a reminder that they did the most incredible things in the Champions League. Among other things, last year against City. Shortly after half-time there was another scene, with a free kick from another ex-Bayern professional, David Alaba. He was steered over the goal by City goalkeeper Éderson. It would probably have been too big a step joke of history if this city had missed the final. It’s the best team in the world.

The grace of Pep Guardiola’s team’s football performance matched the pretty set designed by City. As the teams took to the grass, sky blue and white streamers flew from the stands. The image that presented itself was not even remotely related to the images of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Just styled and organized. “Laaaa-la-la-lalalalaaaa, lalalalaaaa, Ci-tyyyy,” sang the host fans, a touch more fervently than usual, to the tune of the Beatles’ classic “Hey Jude.”

Guardiola’s players celebrate his idea of ​​football against a penniless Real

And then Pep’s army of passes put on their grueling game.

For a long time it was reminiscent of patient braiding. Guardiola had called up the same team as in the first leg – making an announcement from the day before come true: “Don’t worry boys, I’m not going to overthinking Its midfield was overcrowded: Kroos, Modric and Valverde faced off against Rodri, Stones, Gundogan and De Bruyne, who were assisted on the flanks by Bernardo Silva (right) and Jack Grealish. They had apparently been instructed to stop any loss of possession to avoid: A hint of doubt was enough for every City player to play the ball across or backwards again.

And yet they got chances. For example: when De Bruyne sent Erling Haaland long and the Norwegian still managed to dribble past Madrid goalkeeper Courtois but had no angle to aim at goal. The ball landed at Rodri, he shot just wide of the goal. Or: When Haaland failed twice at close range with a header from the incredible Courtois (13th/21st). Then the goals fell. De Bruyne spotted a gap between Modric and Kroos where Bernardo Silva appeared. The completion of the action resembled a penalty: Silva sent Courtois to the right (24th) – 1:0! The 2-0 followed thirteen minutes later, Silva scored again, this time with a header. After a Gündogan shot was blocked by Militão, the ball landed on the forehead of the free-standing Portuguese. He nodded the ball into the goal (37′).

The moment of 3:0: Eder Militão had steered the ball into his own goal in distress, but Manuel Akanji (left) still celebrated.

(Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP)

After the break, Real Madrid tried to scare City. They made a step forward and had more of the game – but apart from Alaba’s aforementioned free-kick, the Madrilenians never created any clear chances. On the other hand, they always ran the risk of running into counterattacks, mostly initiated by De Bruyne. Ancelotti, who now has more Champions League games than anyone (191), replaced Modric (63′) and Kroos (70′), bringing in German defender Antonio Rüdiger and Marco Asensio. Haaland missed the biggest opportunity of the second half after a hacking pass from Gündogan. But the Norwegian failed because of Courtois, because of whom else. The 3-0 came anyway – Akanji grazed a free-kick cross from De Bruyne with his head, Militão deflected the ball to make it 3-0 (76th).

And so, in the final minutes of the game, the City fans received a single invitation to say goodbye to their heroes with an ovation: Gündogan and especially De Bruyne left with thunderous applause. That also applied to Haaland, who made room for the young Argentinian world champion Julián Álvarez in the 89th minute. And watched Álvarez make it 4-0 in added time. It certified Guardiola’s fourth overall Champions League final appearance – and second with City. In 2021 he failed in Porto at Chelsea. Now he faces Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10th.

source site