Premier League leaders Manchester City have sailed through to their first-ever Champions League final. This is after solidifying their aggregate lead over contenders Paris Saint-Germain in last night’s second leg semi-final game.
This is the second time manager Pep Guardiola is reaching the Champions League final after leading Barcelona to the final back in 2011.
Early Lead
An early handball decision was overturned after a VAR check showed the ball touching Oleksandr Zinchenko’s shoulder. City would use this opportunity to attack, leading to Riyad Mahrez‘s goal in the 11th minute. The goal solidified City’s home lead during the first half and set the momentum for them dominating the rest of the game…
This was in contrast to the lead PSG took in the first half of the first leg game last week. The match saw the Premier League side make a comeback in the second half, with 2 goals scored by De Bruyne and Mahrez.
The Attacks Keep Coming
Things were no different in the second half of this second-leg match. City kept attacking hard, giving Navas an equally hard time.
A relentless PSG would still counter-attack but Zynchenko and Dias were equally up to the task, putting up quite the defensive wall.
A quick counter-attack in the 63rd minute saw Mahrez score a second goal, with an assist from Foden.
The Ligue 1 side would still make several threats in City’s area led by Neymar, but Ruben wouldn’t budge.
Tempers Flaring
Drama ensued when Di Maria was sent off on a red card for a foul on Fernandinho. With tempers flared over the second City goal, Veratti and Zynchenko would have an altercation that saw them receive a yellow card each. City’s Captain Kevin De Bruyne would also get a yellow.
City’s attacks kept coming even with 20 minutes left and Pep’s last-minute substitutions weren’t making it any easier for PSG. Frustrations by PSG players saw the side receive a total of 4 yellow cards.
Interestingly, with all the yellow cards being given in the game, Fernandinho got none. But being his 36th birthday he probably deserved a break right? Lol.
With 2 goals down and a 4-1 aggregate, PSG’s fate was sealed.
All indications show City bagging the Champions League title, but do you think Chelsea or Real Madrid stand a chance?
The two sides meet today for their second leg game that will decide who gets to meet City in the final. With a 1-1 aggregate it’s too close to call. We wait to see how their second leg game turns out today at 10:00 pm.
When Will The 2021 Champions League Final Be Held?
The 2021 UEFA Champions League final will be held on Saturday, May 29th, 2021 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Keep it C.O.K for more updates on the Champions League action.
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