2023-05-19 22:11:44
The dream of the two-time European championship for the Real Madrid, and in the worst possible way. More for history than for game, the Madrid fans were confident that their team could show their best level on the cold Manchester night, against a City that dreams of a triple crown.
an incomprehensible decision
While Guardiola decided to bet on his new eleven gala, with a 3-2-4-1 that leaves John Stones in midfield along with Rodri and Haaland as attack point, Ancelotti surprised and decided to remove Rüdiger from the headlines with Militao. The German defender had been one of the figures in the first leg, while the Brazilian had made some important mistakes in recent games.
From the initial whistle, Manchester City showed their game plan and executed it almost perfectly, while Madrid watched the ball pass from one side of the pitch to the other. Patience and depth, the two keys that the locals showed to hurt their rival, with a Bernardo Silva almost undetectable behind Kroos’s back.
When he could not progress with his usual style, Guardiola’s team did not hesitate to focus the area in search of that Norwegian tower that it has as its point of attack. Thus came the first great opportunity, and what a move, because Haaland headed almost under the goal and Courtois made one of those miraculous saves that only seem possible in his hands.
The perfect Storm
Far from taking notice, andl Madrid showed no sign of reaction and City took advantage of their rival’s confusion to push them ever closer to the abyss. In what was already a real football carousel, Haaland once again demanded a supernatural flight from Courtois, in a duel that was already the goalkeeper alone defending his fence against all the attack of the ‘Cityzens’.
Finally, Courtois may be one of the best in the world, but he cannot cover all the shortcomings that the Spanish team showed today. Bernardo Silva took advantage of his loneliness again, entered the area and defined the first post to open the scoring and point out whatand from that moment, it could be presumed as a soccer beating.
Madrid did not connect two passes in what has been, by far, their worst night in many years, while Manchester City he delighted his own and others with plays of all colors. In a bad start, the ‘Cityzens‘ They counterattacked quickly and, after a series of rebounds, Bernardo Silva defined again to sign his personal double.
Taking pity on a Madrid completely on the canvas, the referee decreed the end of the first half without adding minutes. The footballers of the squadMerengue‘ they quickly went to the changing rooms, knowing that something had to change urgently if they wanted to have another magical night of UEFA Champions League.
However, in the second half it became clear that that spark was totally off. Ancelotti understood late that the left sector was being Madrid’s Achilles heel, and just at game time he decided to send Rüdiger to replace Modricso that Camavinga took his natural place in the midfield and Alaba made the band.
Without the spark of comeback
For a greater nightmare of a Militao who only had this opportunity to show that his losing streak was over, the Brazilian defender buried Madrid’s chances when Akanji hit a cross from the flank and the ball deflected past Courtois. It was 3-0 and it was already a utopia even for him Real Madrid.
Ancelotti tried some changes, already very late, while Guardiola decided to give Julián Álvarez a chance, who in just two minutes achieved what Haaland had not been able to do in the entire series. The Argentine striker pressed and recovered the ball, shot into the area and, after a great pass from Foden, scored before Courtois left for the final 4-0.
Much will remain for Real Madrid to reconsider for next season, with a squad that needs a better quality rotation than the one available today, especially knowing that very few names are guaranteed from the bench.
On the other hand, City will go for the revenge of the 2020 edition, when in Lisbon they fell to Chelsea 1-0, and will thus seek the first UEFA Champions League of all its history.
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