Right. Let's dissect the corpse that is the 3rd goal:
Let's start with this. The beginnings. Fran Garcia has just jogged on to waste 60 secs as Madrid close out the game. Look at the time on the clock, the position on the pitch:
The centre half has punted it long, but I suspect he's done that b'cos he's spotted Mbappe running forwards unmarked. On the video, Dias is panicking just off screen as he's just realised F Garcia (just off screen bottom left) has pulled him way too far up the pitch. If you see a video, you can see Garcia constantly looking over his shoulder and enticing Dias further and further up, Dias gets 15 yards into the opposition half (in injury time!!) and he's realised and is desperately trying to get back under the ball. Stones, off screen, is doing nothing. Crime 1 has been committed by the centre halves.
Below, Mbappe is about to win his free header that was coming from a - as it turns out - well spotted long ball into the middle. Mbappe has a free and clear choice; square it to Garcia (bottom right). The counter is now well and truly on, Garcia just needs to test Vinicius & Lewis's legs late on, have a last late go they've been gifted by our sloppy shape from a long punt.
Which moves us onto Crime 2. Depending where you stand on the actions that follow, this is the most egregious (in my eyes). Kovacic has done well, he's pressed up on Camavinga initially and busted a gut to get back. He's telegraphed MBappe's header, which the Madrid man has slightly fucked up and lofted in the air instead of heading it down, and Kovacic steams over to save the day, to boot the ball into row Z, allow the City lads 8 or 10 extra seconds to get back and take that last whisper of a quarter chance away from Madrid. Well done Kova....oh my god what's he done:
Vinicius has clocked his body shape the moment Kovacic left the ground and set off (above). In the below, Vinicius has fully smelt Lewis's fear and is using his very good pace to shut him down. In the video version, there is never a moment where Lewis doesn't look scared and/or on the back foot, but below is possibly the time to act, the time when Crime 3 is committed. He HAS to commit. He's fucked, he's been dealt a shocker of a pass against a lightning quick winger with pretty much no cover. He must go full body, lead with the head, the foot, whatever works to either draw a foul or commit a foul. Take the ball or the man or both.
What follows is an horrendous waft of the left foot which Vinicius wins and just runs through.
Crime 4 is Ederson's weird little rush that he stop half way through. What i will give Ederson is that Vinicius missed. Shame for us thought that Bellingham has sniffed the chance the moment Kovacic fucked his pass up and has been running ever since, credit to him, that's decent and committed midfield play. Dias is still going bless him.
what a farce. what an absolute farce of a late game goal.
