Real Madrid (H) - Wed 17th May, 20:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[TonyM]

View attachment 79410

When the girl in the wedding dress stops in the middle of the road... :-)

 

[SCEtoAUX]

I would like Mahrez to start tonight,get past the full back and he would draw there centre backs away from Haaland to give the big man more space.

Yep, I wanted him to get the nod over Bernie last time and I think the same tonight. I just feel that he has a moment of match winning brilliance in him.

 

[madloaf]

5 hours 10 mins

 

[M16 citeh]

I ain't nervous at all I'm just Buzzing to even be in a tie like this and gonna lap it all up. Can't wait to be part of an atmosphere like tonight will be..saying that if I was watching on TV I'd be nervous I reckon! What a time to be a blue!

 

[ArniArason]

Yep, I wanted him to get the nod over Bernie last time and I think the same tonight. I just feel that he has a moment of match winning brilliance in him.

Can't see Mahrez wanting to get back and help deal with that little dancing prick v.jr

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

From last season, a shithouse Madrid fan spitting at City kids

Let's hope one of the lads recognise him. Vile snidey little twat!!

 

[aguero93:20]

I am absolutely constipated.

They have tablets for that.

 

[Bettys Bell]

Trying to keep myself occupied it’s not working think the clock is going backwards

 

[Hoghead]

Just keep 11 players on the pitch City. Madrid will be up to every dark art possible.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

I am getting strong play off semi-final '99 vibes from this game

Like Wigan or preston north end in the playoffs?

 

[SCEtoAUX]

Can't see Mahrez wanting to get back and help deal with that little dancing prick v.jr

I don't disagree, he is the only player of theirs who worries me, but I'm a huge fan of Mahrez. He's had his critics but in the back of my mind, and along with Kev, he can deliver a piece of match winning genius. Just my opinion, and I know nothing really.

 

[supercity88]

I made a Faustian pact that if we win this competition, I'd have a David Dimbleby moment - and get a tattoo of it on my shoulder/back. - Really not into tattoos and dreading it - but will happily have it done. Stupidly/drunkenly said if we win the the treble I'd get all 3 done. Wife not happy.

You should get the reflection of your face in each of the trophies, each time looking slightly more smug.

 

[horlock_was_super]

Are you a civil servant? That’s not uncommon:-) just seeing if Dennis laws backheel is about

Cheeky git! I had a days worth of work that I have actually managed to finish so the rest of the afternoon - until 4 anyway - on here surreptitiously of course!

 

[MadchesterCity]

I am down today. Just cannot see us getting past this Madrid side. Then the barrage of cheers, jeers and guffaws from pundits, hacks, presenters and opposition fans will be relentless. It is the only consolation they have left to beat City with. I am reaching for the Prozac!

Please don't go with your negative mentality

 

[SkyBlueCanuck]

I have such belief in this team. Which is why I'm completely nonplussed over how nervy I am getting as the kickoff draws closer.

I'd suppose that it's because I have a gut feeling that it won't be enough to just be the better team tonight. We need to be so much better that no amount of screwjobbery can reverse the rightful outcome.

It's a big ask, but our boys have it in them!

 

[aguero93:20]

Trying to keep myself occupied it’s not working think the clock is going backwards

Have you tried turning it upside down?

 

[roy.or.r]

We won’t get a better chance to win the thing finally than this year. I would be depressed if we go out today.

 

[kaz7]

I am down today. Just cannot see us getting past this Madrid side. Then the barrage of cheers, jeers and guffaws from pundits, hacks, presenters and opposition fans will be relentless. It is the only consolation they have left to beat City with. I am reaching for the Prozac!

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Just saw a sign saying delays on Alan Turing Way tonight. Not sure if that is a regular thing or not.

 

[supercity88]

Not sure he is to be honest. There are so many nuances to pressing that Bernardo is just absurdly good at. In terms of high energy hustle and bustle, chasing people down etc, then yeah Alvarez is the best. But do we really press like that any more? To me we seem to focus on blocking passing lanes, forcing them to a particular area of the pitch and then hopefully setting the trap to either win the ball high or force a clip forwards that our centre backs win easily. And Bernardo is a master of that kind of pressing, often pressing two players at once with intelligent positioning, whilst also covering a passing angle to a player behind him. There was even a quote recently from Alvarez where he said he apologised to the team in the dressing room once for pressing the goalkeeper too aggressively which left us a bit out of shape and we conceded. That might look like great pressing, but it wasn’t. Sometimes he can be too eager to press high aggressively when the trap hasn’t been set yet and it’s the wrong moment. Bernardo is more intelligent and tactically-minded with the pressing.

Quite right.

We have more options to change the game than we did last season. Madrid went gung-ho at the end and that's how we scored. Gundogan played through their press and cut about 5 players out with a pass to Bernardo for Mahrez to score. He then got the ball to Zin who fed it on to Grealish for his first chance off the line before he then had a shot saved. But when Mahrez went off for Ferny we went very deep and withdrawn which meant there was no negative in them pushing so many forwards, we invited the pressure.

Tonight you keep Haaland on and you have the likes of Foden, Mahrez and Alvarez to come on and exploit the space they leave and finish them off.

The nerves haven't come for me yet. They're an excellent team who can't be underestimated but we're fucking brilliant at home on nights like this and we'll swat them aside without a problem.