Since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan took over the team in 2008, Manchester City has undoubtedly become one of the best in the league, but Real Madrid is a much higher rung on the ladder and they gave Pep Guardiola a painful wake-up call when they upset the European champions and ended his hopes of winning a double-treble.
The triumph on Wednesday ought to act as a warning that Real Madrid is always a threat, even when facing up against a squad as skilled as Guardiola’s City. Real Madrid won 4-3 on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate draw over the two games thanks to Antonio Rudiger’s coolly struck spot-kick in the penalty shootout at the conclusion of this thrilling quarterfinal match. Although City controlled both games, especially the second leg, Real is Real, the 14-time European Cup and Champions League champions, and they have a track record of winning games. They were too strong for even Guardiola’s triple champions to defeat.
“We played excellent defense tonight,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said. “The goal here was to survive. The foundation of Madrid is our constant struggle to survive in circumstances where it would seem impossible to escape—but we constantly manage to do so.”
A year before, City had defeated Real 4-0 in the second leg of the semifinals, on route to their first Champions League victory against Inter Milan in Istanbul. Their success and performance suggested that the traditional European powerhouses would lose ground to this group of gifted individuals, whose money and experience came from their Abu Dhabi owners. Even while City has surpassed the traditionally more successful Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea to become the dominating power in England, winning the Champions League is a much more challenging task.
In the Champions League period since 1992, no team has ever won a triple (United, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, thrice), and no team has ever successfully defended its European title after a three-pronged victory the following season. Real Madrid is the only team that has won the Champions League continuously since 1992, therefore City has always had a difficult task ahead of them.
However, City has become so strong under Guardiola that they seem to be ready to defy expectations this year. The story of the tape from this game—33 shots to Real’s eight—only served to highlight how City can smother and strangle an opponent. Their pass count of 919 was more than twice as high as Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s total of 458. Real Madrid performed a performance more fitting of a massive underdog by defending deep, attacking on the counter, and depending on an incredible performance from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to remain in the game when they were unable to capitalize on their domination.
After the game, Guardiola said, “Football is about winning and we didn’t do enough, yet we were exceptional.” “On penalties, you might win sometimes and lose other times. But, despite playing strong defense, we were unable to capitalize on our opportunities throughout the game. Everybody gave excellent performances. We said that playing Real Madrid would need us to be at our best, and they were.”
It would be naive to see this loss and quarterfinal departure as the end of an era at the Etihad, since Guardiola’s assessment of the game was a fair depiction. Naturally, Champions League losses are scrutinized more, but this game featured both exceptional and inconsistent performances from Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. Ultimately, it was simply another one of those games when a City club, so used to winning and holding its own when the chips are down, found out it was just as human as any other squad.
Following Rodrygo’s strike in the 12th minute, City exerted tremendous pressure on Real and generated many opportunities. Real’s confidence increased as a consequence of the home team’s failure to score, as Erling Haaland, Silva, De Bruyne, and Jack Grealish all missed easy chances to score.
After some excellent work by Jérémy Doku, De Bruyne tied the score in the 76th minute from close range. City was anticipated to reverse the tide and win the game. Real was worn out, and in the 102nd minute, City full-back Kyle Walker—who had been sidelined for a month—showcased his team’s momentum by outmuscling and overtaking Vinícius Júnior in a battle for the ball. Walker was fit and fresh enough to play for 120 minutes. (Lusa Vázquez, who would later score in the shootout, took the place of the Brazilian soon after.)
With their chances of winning a triple on the line, City had to accept the lottery of penalties despite keeping Real confined deep in their own half. Real Madrid took the lead thanks to two shoddy spot shots from Silva and Mateo Kovacic, both of which Lunin easily saved. However, Rudiger’s game-winning penalty ensured victory and a semifinal matchup with Bayern Munich.
Real march on, but City must now win the Premier League championship and this Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal matchup at Wembley against Chelsea. Guardiola’s main worries will be exhaustion and injuries after seeing Haaland and De Bruyne hobble out due to fitness issues. This may leave City susceptible against Mauricio Pochettino’s squad and lead to another tournament exit in less than a week.
Nothing will hurt as much as a Champions League loss, even if they lose at Wembley.
Before the game, their supporters raised a massive banner featuring a bus with the words “Wembley Express” written along the side, indicating that they would be traveling to the stadium to see the Champions League final in June. But for that one, City won’t need a bus. Their current task is to ensure that this Saturday’s trip isn’t their last trip to Wembley this season.
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In an incredible Champions League match, Real Madrid teaches Man City a lesson.
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