For Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, the Champions League is their holy grail but once again Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti presented a harsh test for the Cityzens in their journey towards a first UCL triumph.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, it was an arm wrestle, a game of tactical chess between two of the greatest managers to ever grace the game, highlighted by moments of exquisite individual quality. City domination shocked by a sublime counterattack, a Modric flick, Camavinga's driving run, and a Vinicius Junior rocket past Ederson to give Madrid a crucial lead. City were not overwhelming, but neither were Madrid unbreachable.
In a team spearheaded by Erling Haaland's 52 goals, it is truly impressive that Kevin De Bruyne still remains the team's undeniable superstar. Undoubtedly a legend in Manchester blue, the Belgian maestro rose to the occasion, firing a thunderbolt away at the Bernabeu, a wondrous strike arrowing past his compatriot Thibault Courtois.
A year ago, Manchester City faltered at this stage, at the hands of a comeback so improbable only Real Madrid could have pulled it off. But this City team have reached new heights this season, a team truly at the pinnacle of footballing ability, comparable to Barcelona super teams of old and superior in almost every facet of the game.
At the Etihad, Manchester City showcased their immense quality. An eviscerating performance, and a scoreline that perhaps did not reflect City's superiority. Real Madrid, 14 European cups and an unrivalled sense of infallibility, overwhelmed from the minute the ball kicked off under a wave of blue and white flags.
Erling Haaland was largely contained, Thibault Courtois once again staked his claim as the best goalkeeper in Europe, but there were slim pickings for Carlo Ancelotti, whose team crumbled.
An evolution of tactical ingenuity, a meticulously engineered system designed to extract the best of every individual, this iteration of Pep's team synonymous with control and domination. A treble on the line, Pep Guardiola did not succumb to his overthinking and City are 23-games unbeaten.
Pep has deployed a false nine, specialist wingers, and now a world class predator with equal success, toying with Real Madrid on the night. Jack Grealish struck fear into the Madrid back four, but like Ilkay Gundogan on the weekend, City had an unsung hero in the severely underrated Bernardo Silva, a jack of all trades with endless energy and versatility. An impregnable defence.
It is irregular perhaps unfathomable to witness Luka Modric and Toni Kroos outclassed, Ballon d'or winner Karim Benzema invisible and the Brazilian sensations Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo ineffectual, yet City imposed their sheer domination, a blur of sky blue leaving in their wake a shell-shocked European giant.
Credit for the stats: www.sofascore.com, www.theguardian.com
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