Real Madrid (H) | Post Match Thread

[ChicagoBlue]

Pulsating game that should have been over as a contest before half time. Mahrez miss/greed changed the entire 180 minute tie before 30 minutes were on the clock.

The story of City’s LACK of global domination over the Pep era has been the squandering of chances other top teams score. It’s that simple!

We score lots of goals and we usually have a fairly stingey defence, but the lack of definitive goals that end contests has been our downfall before and, I fear, may be yet again!

That game could easily have been 7-2. Easily!

However, if it had gone to 3-0 within the first half hour, the whole structure of the game would have changed. That was only compounded by Foden’s poor first touch, which took him wide instead of towards goal, and poor finish for what could have been a fourth before half time.

If we don’t go through, much as the Final itself last year, we will only have ourselves to blame.

We have a slim lead and can absolutely win at the Bernabéu next week, but we have made that task all the harder…and we will already know which team we will face in the Final by then, too!

My ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE is to lose the PL lead and hand LiVARpool the title, then lose to them in the CL Final and not only hand them the Quadruple, but watch us lose it to ANOTHER English team!

We have a hard away game this weekend and a team of wounded warriors, so it’s time for the likes of Sterling & Gundogan to step up. Meanwhile, Madrid need 1 point from numerous games to win La Liga going away, so they can test players yet again!

The players were, overall, magnificent, and they produced (along with an open and offensive Madrid team) an absolutely superb advert for Champions League football. To be honest, I couldn’t care less about doing that again at their place, because at the business end of the season, WINNERS know it is ALL ABOUT RESULTS!!

I’ll take not just your hand, but your entire arm, off for a dour 0-0 draw at their place RIGHT NOW, but I think we can play the football to win the game, regardless.

Next Weds will be our toughest CL test yet on the Big Stage. Let’s see who we are.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I wasn’t there so it’s easy for me to say but I wish it’d been a boring 2-0 win with us squeezing the life out of the game after a whirlwind start. Were we a bit naive or was it just one of those crazy nights that can’t be explained ?

One thing’s for sure - Real will be very wary of us in the 2nd leg. It’s not a big leap of faith to imagine that we can go there and absolutely tear them to shreds energy and fitness concerns notwithstanding.

I can't understand why you or any other blue thinks like this pal. Was one of the most exciting games in our recent history I think and it must have been some game for the neutral football fan watching on TV.

We once had years of boring football that could be explained because we were often shite and on the end of a 2-0 loss, or more.

It was indeed a crazy night of such mazy nail biting excitement that I can't really remember too much of it.

I didn't bite my nails btw, I was too busy selling fannywipes on the game thread; )

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Not sure what else Laporte was meant to do with their 2nd goal as he was tracking Benzema’s run.

Errrrr, close down the danger and leave Benzema to Zinchenko?!!!!

It was a great turn by Vinicius to get past Ferdy, sometimes you just have to admire the quality of the opposition. I even think Walker will have his work cut out containing him.

It was a great MOVE, but from there, it showed Dias has NO pace and that Rodri is a beast! Beyond that, Laporte allowed Vinicius to get INTO THE SIX YARD BOX AND NEVER CHALLENGED HIM!!!

No excuse for that! NONE!

Either way what a spectacle for both sets of fans and the footballing World as a whole.

Roll on next week.

Indeed! A beautiful advert for the type of football people want to see!

 

[waspish]

Yep can’t disagree there. It was like a flashback to all the bad things we thought we had eradicated from our game in CL games. We have won 4-3, which on the face of it, with away goals not counting it looks a fantastic result, but we all know we should have scored more and we have gifted them 3 goals.

We are winning but the tie should be all over, we have given them a chance their performance didn’t deserve.

Look at the goals they were not gifted! Only thing we did wrong was if scoring more goals.

 

[Vic]

I agree.. they were so inferior to us overall a draw seems hard to fathom. Thank god they scrapped away goals though!

Maybe we wouldn't have had such a great game if they hadn't.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Magnificent performance with a makeshift back 4 against a very good side.

Magnificent atmosphere, felt like a CL semi v Real Madrid.

We’ve shown again what we can do to any team.

Get our full backs back and we’ll fucking leather these at theirs.

 

[This CITY is OURS 14]

Both Barca and Chelsea have managed to win recently at the bernabeu, and i would rank us a better team than those 2, relax blues, we have got this, or at very least a draw in my opinion, and we are in the final.

 

[Akiva]

Nothing to do with flapping,you clearly cant see the wood for the trees.

People are highlighting and discussing both our strengths and weaknesses,as you do on a discussion board.

Stones could have had just as tough a time with Vinicius,he coud just have easily made a poor challenge,and your most definitely wishful thinking if you believe he could have matched the kid for speed.

We are the better team,but we are also the more naive.Hopefully Walker is back,as that will make our task of progression that much easier.

"The more naive" what does this even mean? I swear your posts have gone tits up since you stopped being a mod.

There's definitely a bit of flapping going on here when we beat Real Madrid, 14 points clear atop La Liga, in a CL semi-final and people are moaning. Can't see the wood for the trees, you were saying?

I think City were excellent last night, the lads all stepped up to a man and, considering the situation at the back, the result is one I'm quite happy to be carrying to Madrid.

 

[Uwe's 80s mullet]

Not sure what else Laporte was meant to do with their 2nd goal as he was tracking Benzema’s run.

It was a great turn by Vinicius to get past Ferdy, sometimes you just have to admire the quality of the opposition. I even think Walker will have his work cut out containing him.

Either way what a spectacle for both sets of fans and the footballing World as a whole.

Roll on next week.

What was he meant to do? Go to the ball, close him down always! Zinchenko had come across to cover Benzema. There is still the possibility they still finish the move off, but Laporte HAS to close that angle.

Great run and finish by the lad though

 

[Jogon 127]

Errrrr, close down the danger and leave Benzema to Zinchenko?!!!!


It was a great MOVE, but from there, it showed Dias has NO pace and that Rodri is a beast! Beyond that, Laporte allowed Vinicius to get INTO THE SIX YARD BOX AND NEVER CHALLENGED HIM!!!

No excuse for that! NONE!


Indeed! A beautiful advert for the type of football people want to see!

Sorry mate, don’t agree.

Laporte looked to Zinny as they were on the back foot and saw Rodrygo chasing up the right wing, so he correctly continued to track Benzema. Otherwise it would have left Zinchenko with two attackers to deal with.

Vinicius was simply too good/quick for Ferdy and (Foden?) chasing in his slipstream.