How Real Madrid’s ‘lucky’ night exposed the truth about Man City
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There was a football manager who is often recognized as the very best. He was contemplating the outcome of a game that might end up with Carlo Ancelottit as the winner of his fifth Champions League trophy. Meanwhile, this great manager only has three to his name. "If this were any other sport, we would have won with those numbers," exclaimed Pep Guardiola. Manchester City took 32 shots while Real Madrid only put up eight. In the end, Real won thanks to four successful penalty kicks to City's three. Guardiola, who had led Barcelona to victory many times, referred to the wise words of his mentor Johan Cruyff, who once said that luck is not even a real thing - and Guardiola completely agrees.
City had a string of unfortunate events that ultimately led to their elimination from the game on penalties. Real managed to score two goals that were deflected, Kevin De Bruyne fell ill and had to sit the game out, and a crucial moment when Erling Haaland hit the bar in Manchester. Bernardo Silva also made a risky move to try and chip Andriy Lunin from 12 yards, which ultimately didn't work. Guardiola was forgiving and understood that these were fine margins that could have made the difference for City's continental success. Ruben Dias stated that City had dominated the entire game against Real, however luck was not on their side.
It's rare for anyone to brag about dominating a soccer game. However, Manchester City's recent win over Carlo Ancelotti's team wasn't exactly the same kind of domination as last season's 4-0 victory at Etihad Stadium. It's not fair to judge every game by that same standard, or to compare it to when Bayern Munich was demolished in the quarter-finals in 2023, but those were the types of performances City would regularly deliver. This season, they haven't had any such impressive victories against top teams, and they won't have any going forward.
The campaign resulted in an interesting outcome, as City exited Europe without suffering a loss except for the shootout. This season, they achieved an 80% win rate in the Champions League. However, considering their performance against top-tier teams like Real, Liverpool, and Arsenal, they didn't win any matches in seven outings. This could be seen as evidence that they had an easy time in the Champions League this year and fell short when facing a significant challenge.
Partly, City struggled with counter-attacks in both matches due to weaknesses on transitions. Although they managed to push Real back in the Etihad, their inability to make the most of scoring opportunities was noticeable. While they did score impressively in their match at Bernabeu, Guardiola's winning formula does not require wonder goals. However, they have not been as effective in big games and their passes have not been as devastating. Haaland has yet to score against Real while playing for City, and no player has scored more than one goal against Real, Liverpool, and Arsenal this season. Even the top scorers include defenders and Cole Palmer who has since transferred to Chelsea and scored 20 goals.
The author discusses the negative impact on the club from last summer. Ilkay Gundogan leaving the team has had a significant effect, and Riyad Mahrez has become even more important since the replacement player, Palmer, was sold. This decision appears to have been a mistake. While Jeremy Doku was an impressive substitute during the Real match, the team seemed to have limited options beyond him. Julian Alvarez is enthusiastic but lacks the skill that City requires. Guardiola changed his starting lineup at half-time in both games, demonstrating his creativity, but also indicating a lack of other options.
In the latest game, Mateo Kovacic missed a penalty after coming off the bench, while Matheus Nunes stayed on the sidelines. Despite Josko Gvardiol's improving skills, some people think that the previous summer's transfer window wasn't successful. This is because Manchester City appears to be weaker this year compared to last year. Clues about this have been present throughout the season, but some people have overlooked them because they expected Manchester City to dominate again. However, it seems that they have fewer players who can turn a game around and less strength in depth. Real Madrid also lacked high-quality attackers, but they are planning to bring in reinforcements in the summer. Endrick is coming and it is highly likely that Kylian Mbappe will join him. This will surely make Real Madrid the top team once again.
The City team could have ended their opponents' chances of winning the title within a week. Although they were eliminated, City still made a significant impact on the sport's history. In fact, if you consider the result to be a tie, the team remained undefeated for 28 games. They also matched a club record that has stood for a hundred years by remaining unbeaten at home for 42 games.
Despite everything, the least comforting statistic was the one that stuck out. The number that really mattered was something that seemed like it was just expected: Guardiola has led City to eight Champions League campaigns, winning only one. This most recent exit marks the fourth time they've been knocked out in the quarter-finals. Familiar sources of disappointment, like penalties, away goals, questionable calls, and last-minute rallies, only added to the agony. But maybe that's just the way it goes in football. Guardiola himself seemed philosophical about it all, knowing that sometimes the game can be generous and sometimes it can be brutal.
