Manchester City and Real Madrid treated viewers to a feast and we go through five talking points on the seven-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium.
The hype and attention surrounding this game before kick-off were immeasurable, and what transpired in those 90 minutes was unimaginably spectacular. Nobody could have foreseen the magnitude of the drama and quality on display last night. Not only will the tie have ramifications in the immediate future but it also has huge repercussions in the bigger picture.
7 – Man City 4-3 Real Madrid is the joint-highest scoring ever Champions League semi-final, along with Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich (April 1995) and Liverpool 5-2 Roma (April 2018). Breathless. pic.twitter.com/AqUWHzY59A
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 26, 2022
Raining goals in Manchester
This clash had goals written all over it and there were barely 90 seconds on the clock when Man City opened the scoring through Kevin De Bruyne, before Gabriel Jesus doubled the Citizens’ advantage inside 11 minutes. Three were scored in the first half and the goal-fest carried over into the second period which saw another four shipped in. With the away goals rule abolished, both teams went at it hammer and tongs. Karim Benzema halved the deficit after the half-hour mark but Phil Foden restored City’s two-goal cushion shortly after half-time, and two minutes later Vinícius Júnior replied to make it 3-2.
Bernardo Silva’s sweet strike put City two-up for a third time on the night but Real were handed a lifeline, lierally, when Aymeric Laporte was penalised for a handball in the 18-yard area with 10 minutes to go. On his 600th appearance for Real, Benzema oozed calmness and confidence as he chipped Ederson from 12 yards and the French striker has now bagged eight goals in his last three UCL matches. City attacked until the very last whistle and they undoubtedly would have felt hard done by in winning by just a solitary goal.
- Defensive woes for Pep
John Stones was doubtful ahead of the tie but was named in Pep Guardiola’s XI. The English centre-back lasted less than half the contest and he left the field after 35 minutes as club captain Fernandinho entered the fray. The 36-year-old Brazilian endured a topsy-turvy cameo, delivering a perfect floated cross for Foden to head home before he was outdone by the ingenious Vinícius who netted on the counter-attack for 3-2.
Despite a minor injury crisis in defence, City had no shortage of attacking players with England internationals Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish on the bench. Riyad Mahrez spurned a golden opportunity to put City three to the good and Guardiola was visibly frustrated at multiple chances gone amiss by his players. João Cancelo served his one-match suspension and will be available for the return leg in Madrid next Wednesday.
- Madrid’s shaky defence
David Alaba was passed fit and this would have come as a huge sigh of relief for Carlo Ancelotti, who included the Austrian defender in the starting lineup. Madrid suffered a nightmare at the back, conceding twice inside the opening quarter of an hour, and Alaba was replaced by Nacho Fernandez at the interval. In LaLiga this term, Real have conceded fewer than one goal per game (29 goals in 33 matches) but when faced with an attack as lethal and unforgiving as City’s, the Spanish giants crumbled.
Alaba was the only defensive reinforcement last summer as long-standing centre-backs Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane departed Madrid which ultimately left a massive void for Real. Alaba and Militão are both talented defenders however Real are crying out for a colussus at the back and Antonio Rüdiger is expected to join Los Blancos on a free transfer ahead of next season.
- An ageing midfield
Real desperately need to spark up their engine room as they simply could not cope with the wit, grit and intensity of the City midfield. Rodri pulled the strings in the centre of the park, while Toni Kroos was totally overwhelmed by the outstanding De Bruyne and the energetic Bernardo. With Casemiro only named on the bench, Real were devoid of an out-and-out anchor in the midfield.
Eduardo Camavinga was introduced on 70′ but he struggled to make a lasting impact. Camavinga, 19, signed last year at the Santiago Bernabéu which is also tipped as a favourable destination for 22-year-old Aurélien Tchouameni in the forthcoming summer. Having two youthful midfielders is certainly an ideal scenario in the long run, but Real also require short-term fixes to rejuvenate its waning midfield department.
Luka Modrić and Kroos remain two of the finest midfielders in world football, both individually and as a duo, but they no longer possess the pace nor the physicality to continue as a mainstay in the Madrid setup. Los Blancos will need new additons currently at the age Modrić and Kroos were (27 and 24, respectively) when they signed for Real in 2012 and 2014.
- Room for improvement on both sides?
Despite the countless world-class talent on display, both these teams will undoubtedly be looking to strengthen further once the transfer market opens after the season draws to a close. Media reports suggest that Real and City will be the respective destination clubs for Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, and there is little to no doubt both young superstars would have tuned in last night to get a feel for what they are potentially getting themselves into.
City are yet to replace either of Sergio Agüero or Ferran Torres, both of whom left Manchester for Barcelona in the last nine months, and they could also look to add new options to their defensive ranks. Madrid, meanwhile, can improve in most areas and they may be braced for an emphatic summer spree.
🏟️ Everything will be decided back at the Bernabéu.#UCL pic.twitter.com/YPoeVwH2qP
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 26, 2022
With just one goal seperating the sides there is still all to play for in the return leg next week. Guardiola and his troops visit the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, May 4, with both parties poised to progress to the Champions League Final at the Stade de France on May 28.
