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Bernardo Silva guide City
Author of a double and the first two goals of his team, Bernardo Silva was the conductor of the impressive offensive copy of Manchester City. The Portuguese was present at the finishing and creation. On the first goal, he made a perfect markdown in the holes of the Madrid defense to find himself in a mattress on the service of Kevin De Bruyne (23rd). On his second goal, he perfectly followed the direction of the game to cleverly place a header in the skylight, recovering a ball badly pushed away by the Real defence after Thibaut Courtois' stoppage. The former Monegasque finished the match with 81 balls touched, 90% of successful passes and six duels won. He also framed all his attempts.
The "Guardiola paw"
It is customary to say that Pep Guardiola's teams play football very well, producing a resolutely attacking game. But tonight, his Manchester City simply flirted with perfection, making it probably one of the best attacking copies in the history of the Champions League semi-finals, especially against the defending champions, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid. The Catalan tactician totally won his tactical battle against the Italian. If Bernardo Silva is the symbol of this success, it is important to highlight the performances of Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish who distilled many very good balls, almost never losing the leather and chaining offerings quickly and clean combinations. At the break, the Citizens showed more than 80% possession, with the installation of a pressing very high in the Madrid area.
See alsoChampions League: Manchester City humiliates Real Madrid and joins Inter Milan in the final
FLOPS
Unrecognizable Merengue
If Manchester City has been very good, the level displayed by Real Madrid remains unworthy of a Champions League semi-final, especially for such a mythical club that has won this competition 14 times and was the defending champion. After 20 minutes, Real Madrid still hadn't entered Manchester City's penalty area. And Thibaut Courtois was the player who had touched the most balls (17 times). Even worse, Carlo Ancelotti's players had only managed 17 passes more than 20 minutes after kick-off. At the break, they had attempted only one strike, from Toni Kroos who crashed into Ederson's bar. This Wednesday evening, Casa Blanca seemed passive, lacking a solution or even inspiration. They never really got into the game and never really tried to react.
A strangely aging environment
For several seasons, Toni Kroos (33) and Luka Modric (37) have seemed tireless. Like good wine, they only age in the best way, becoming even stronger, even more regular, even more infallible. But tonight, reality caught up with football poetry. Faced with the aggressiveness, intensity and energy put by Manchester City from the beginning of the match, including this very high pressing and this Erling Haaland always present to stick the defenders and prevent quick and clean relaunches, the duo composed of the German and the Croatian seemed quickly on the kneecaps, tired and unable to release the Madrid animation by bringing a little more oxygen and verticality to the collective.