Magical night in Manchester. The Citizens and Real Madrid put on an amazing show on Wednesday night in the Champions League semi-final first leg (4-3). Seven goals, a thrilling scenario, players in a state of grace, a Zidanesque panenka, there is so much to say about this duel which is already one of the most beautiful European shocks of the last ten years.
Let’s start with the two coaches. They did not enter the lawn, an extraordinary match does not mean a match without rules, but they too are entitled to their share of glory. “No one in the world may not have enjoyed this match, with these fantastic goals. Yes, 4-0 would have been better. In fairy tales, on Mars or on Jupiter yes, but in football matches, all that does not happen, ”said Pep Guardiola, once again possessed during this meeting.
More sober, more laconic, Carlo Ancelotti was content to speak of a “fantastic match for football”. It must be said that he is now used to seeing his team raise the bar with so much determination and panache. After PSG, after defending champion Chelsea, Real is once again demonstrating what club culture can add to the soul.
“Yet Another Wonder” by Benzema
“There is no one who kills Madrid”, summarizes the local newspaper As about a team “in immortal mode”. “Real Madrid has more lives than a cat,” writes Sport. At the heart of new miracle, the name of the hero does not change. Karim Benzema scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season in this competition and is approaching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record (17 goals in 2013-2014).
Author of a perfect recovery in the first act to reduce the gap (2-1), after a delicious placement between two defenders (33rd), he stunned the Mancunian stadium ten minutes from the end (82nd). A penalty is whistled for his own due to a foul by Laporte. Despite two errors last weekend in the exercise, the French international takes responsibility. He had smiled a few minutes earlier at the time of the fourth opposing goal, and it is us, spectators, who smile with pleasure and admiration in front of the panenka that he tries and succeeds at this moment of the match. “Yet another marvel”, lays down Marca who congratulates “a unique striker, capable of converting two goals in moments of maximum demand with precision” and who has “this point of genius which borders on madness”.
“Guardiola’s art has reached its highest expression”
On the English side, we bow to the French captain. We also very much regret this small gap in view of the fantastic game deployed by the artists of Guardiola. “This game was a feast for the senses, and a lot of its magic came from De Bruyne,” insisted The Telegraph. Scorer and passer on Wednesday evening, he is “City’s rocket fuel in large-scale matches”, adds the daily. The Guardian is thinking of City supporters and trying to reassure them before the return leg next Wednesday. “They will remember this evening as an unforgettable evening, where Guardiola’s art reached its highest expression, where they faced the true aristocrats of European football and where they managed to impose themselves”.
“Let’s hope the return match will be more entertaining,” British football figure Gary Lineker quipped on Twitter. A bit of English humor. But the last word goes to the Portuguese Bernardo Silva, elected man of the match by FIFA. His dry shot in the top corner of Courtois also illuminated this part. “It’s a special team,” he said of Real. They have the talent up front to do a lot with not a lot. “That’s good, that’s all we are already impatiently awaiting next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Still many, many emotions.