Manchester City are closer to their first-ever European trophy for the first time after humiliating the reigning champions Real Madrid 4-0 at Etihad in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal.
The huge win makes the Citizens win 5-1 on aggregate. Previously, in the first leg of the semifinal at Bernabeu last week, Manchester City forced the home team to play in an exciting 1-1 draw, thanks to a stunning goal from Kevin de Bruyne.
Manchester City almost scored the opener in the 6th minute, but Rodri’s went too wide. Bernardo Silva scored the first goal for the English Premier League’s giants in the 23rd minute, followed by the second in the 37th.
The Portuguese midfielder equals the records of Lionel Messi (2011) and Robert Lewandowski (2013) as the player who scored a brace in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. As of 30 minutes of the first half, Manchester City controlled the game with 76 percent of ball possession.
Manchester City’s dominant display adds misery to the 14-time champions of Europe.
Manchester City dominated the game, reaching 67 percent of ball possession in the second half. David Alaba’s free-kick almost gave Los Blancos some hope before being saved by Ederson Moraes. Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Haaland got closer to Thibaut Courtois, but the Belgian goalkeeper denied the Norwegian’s shot.
Manuel Akanji took the ball from Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick, making it 3-0 for the reigning Premier League champions. However, the goal was considered an own goal as the ball touched Eder Militao before entering El Real’s goal. Julian Alvarez added misery to Carlo Ancelotti’s men, ending Real Madrid’s hopes to defend the title this season.
Manchester City are predicted to beat Inter Milan in this season’s UEFA Champions League final
Manchester City’s outstanding victory against the defending champions Real Madrid secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League final. Manchester City will play against Inter Milan—who in the semifinal beat city rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate—in the UEFA Champions League final this season, held in Istanbul, Turkiye on June 10.
The Citizens reached the European championship final in the 2020/2021 campaign before losing to their Premier League rivals, Chelsea, in the final. The victory against Real Madrid made Pep Guardiola’s squad the hottest favorite to win this season’s European tournament.
Furthermore, Manchester City still get a chance to win three titles: Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. When Sir Alex Ferguson took charge, Manchester United won all those three titles in the 1998/1999 season.
Manchester City will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final in Wembley a few days after the Premier League finishes. Also, Manchester City will likely defend their Premier League title after removing Arsenal from the table. Phil Foden and colleagues have collected 85 points from 35 games this season so far, four points ahead of The Gunners.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan are also hungry for their first European trophy after a 13-year wait. Nerazurri won their UEFA Champions League in 2009/2010 by beating Bayern Munchen in the final.
About Author
No comment