Defending UEFA Champions League title holders Real Madrid suffered a humiliating defeat at Manchester City’s home turf. City was in control of the game from the start with Los Blancos struggling to find ball possession, especially in the first half.
Pep Guardiola’s side went on to defeat Real Madrid 4 – 0 giving City an impressive 5 – 1 aggregate victory.
“At home, we feel incredibly comfortable in front of our people. I have a feeling that for one year we had a fear in our stomach about what happened last season but today we went out with everything we had. Last season was so painful and people say it was a lack of character but one year later we show just how special these players are. Congratulations to our chairman, our owner, and every last person [in our organization] because they work with a real purpose and now we are there [in the final].” said Guardiola.
Source: Twitter @ChampionsLeague
Bernardo Silva was the player to look out for in the first half of the game after he found the net 23 minutes into the game with his left foot, with an assist from Kevin De Bruyne. Silva scored the second goal in the 37th minute with a header after a loose ball from Eder Militao’s block. By the end of the first half, Manchester City’s possession stood at 72% while Real Madrid’s was 28%.
Second Half
The second half started well with Real Madrid looking more focused and in control of the ball. In the 50th minute, Karim Benzema made a shot that was blocked by Reuben Dias. The Manchester City center-back received a yellow card and gave Real Madrid a free kick a few yards from the goalpost. David Alaba sent the free kick on target but Ederson’s fingertips put it out for a corner.
Source: Twitter
By the 70th minute, the game became one-sided with City dominating possession. The third goal came in the 76th minute from Manuel Akanji which was again assisted by a De Bruyne cross in the box. It was, however, an own goal from Militao to make it 3-0. Substitutions were done for both teams after the goal in order to improve their tactical performance.
Extra Time
The final goal came from Julian Alvarez in the 91st minute after substituting Erling Haaland. This was assisted by Phil Foden who was substituted with De Bruyne in a tactical substitution. After the last whistle of the game, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had this to say.
“I think tonight Manchester City deserved to win because they played better than us. Last season was different. They were better than us [tonight] as last season we were better than them.”
Photo: Courtesy
A similar tone was also used by Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal who showed his disappointment and disbelief at the match results.
“We played a rival who were better than us in this match, they pretty well overwhelmed us.”
Man City Celebrations and Statistics
Manchester City players were all smiles at home with 52,313 football fans in the Etihad Stadium. With two goals, Bernardo Silva could not hide his joy as he spoke to media outlets after the game.
“It’s a beautiful night for us. We knew it was going to be tough but to beat this Madrid team 4-0 at home… It’s a wonderful feeling to be in the final again. Hopefully, this time we can win it. I didn’t feel very good at all after the first game. Tonight I had to try to do better for my teammates and the fans. I’m very good with my head, hey? I’m very small but I’m good with my head.”
The game ended with Manchester City having eight shots on target and Real Madrid three. Manchester City had three goalkeeper saves while Real Madrid had four. The semi-finals also ended with 61% of possession to Manchester City and 39% to Real Madrid.
The Manchester City team will now face Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League Finals at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The English and Italian clubs are set to fight it out on 10th June 2023. You can catch the battle on all sports channels.
Which team do you think will win? Keep it C.O.K as we update you on who will win the competition.
