Manchester City V Real Madrid: A Case still to be settled but Verdict leans towards Madrid

A MATCH DAY DELIGHT FOR THE NEUTRALS

Remove your masks City, we all know you are Barcelona, and UEFA just cheated us with an El Clasico for a Champions League Semi-Final.

Let’s not kid ourselves, the match was a derby game; one with pulsating moments and several twists and turns with Guardiola on the center stage. It was one of those games that looked dead and buried from the start of the first whistle, but at 90 minutes, felt it was a much different game that obviously played out in a different City and Country that wasn’t England but Spain.

Bookmarkers, punters, rival fans and the like all had this game and ticket sold out for City prior to the game, and obviously for a good reason. Real Madrid haven’t exactly being the top team we know this season; basically in the La Liga and Champions League, but somehow they have pulled themselves up and back into games, game after game that we all felt, some time, their luck was going to run out at some point obviously. And rightly so, we all felt this was the game for it. In no way can they afford to be lazed against a high pressing and flying Manchester City team that drown opponents with passes and possession for a full 90 minutes and live to tell about it. But that was what happened.

Real Madrid came into this fixture, started the game like a Burnley side, frightened even to contest the ball let alone possession with City. The Guardiola side started the game thinking they were a La Liga side; with an unexplained hatred for Real Madrid. They took the game too personally; like a derby if you will, and raced straight into a lead in the Second minute. We all were pretty sure the Referee had not pocketed his whistle upon blowing for kick off before Kevin De Bruyne headed in a very strange goal right in the middle of the Madrid defense, with Thibaut Courtois present.

It was something of a shock goal that it took Real Madrid longer to understand what the fuss was all about and if they had gotten into the wrong match, but when they did; Jesus had come in with another testament as to how awesome Manchester City were. It was 2-0. It was done; buried. Jesus had put the enemies to shame in the 11^th minute, and the Cityzens were in cruise control. Passes were rolling here and there, to mentally and physically toil with the Spanish giants who had come into a war they didn’t understand.

But as all wars go, there were mercenaries; and in some way, Riyad Mahrez had been paid to bring hope into Madrid hearts while in a City shirt. It took Guardiola time to realize this, and when it did, the Algerian had decided to sell a golden chance to bury the game in 3-0 after 29 minutes for a shot that would leave Courtois happy at life in Madrid. It was one of those chances he could have opted to pass or be more decisive about but didn’t. And more of that came from the Cityzens, that it ultimately became some sort of a norm, even leaving Guardiola confused the minute Benzema chipped in a crazy goal from an half chance. The tactical mind opted to pull off a Rodri to bring in a Fernandinho as Right Full Back. Hope at last, Madrid felt. Now, they understood the game they were playing. It was a derby; this was an El Clasico, and some way Barcelona had cheated their way back into the Champions League after being eliminated. Real Madrid took it personal then henceforth.

The game improved, with Real using any chance they got to put something to the table, although something in their backline betrayed their intentions, as one or the other a goal or two kept seeing the inside of their net every once in a while but not without their attackers in Benzema and Vinicius Jr pulling one back at several intervals.

It’s one of those games where missed chances will play a deciding factor to determine its eventual verdict, and Real Madrid had less of those, hence this legal battle leans towards favoring them in the Santiago Bernabeu in the reverse fixture. They had been given a defense to stand with in Court, and they would want to take it with open arms.