the offensive passion of the Cityzens, to the point of madness

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Manchester City fans will have to wait another week before knowing if their team will qualify for a second consecutive Champions League final, but they were at least able to feast on Tuesday, April 26, during the match against Real Madrid (4-3). The Merengues, so badly embarked after two goals conceded after ten minutes of play, are still alive in this double confrontation. A sign that City has shown itself to be faithful to its principles: attack, always, and whatever the result, even if it means taking risks defensively.

This mantra came true two minutes after the Cityzens’ third goal, scored by Phil Foden. At the time, Manchester City had just regained a two-goal lead over Real and could have controlled the match, retreating slightly on the field to calm the debates of a match plunged into madness. But Vinicius took advantage of an English defense located at the level of the halfway line to swallow fifty meters in a few seconds and deceive Ederson.

Karim Benzema’s other two goals conceded by the Skyblues are also avoidable. But such is the characteristic of the City of Guardiola. Before showing these defensive shortcomings, the Premier League leader above all demonstrated once again the quality of his offensive armada and his passing game. Far from diving into the faults of some of Guardiola’s teams, who held the ball without doing anything, the Cityzens reached heights of creativity, well led by a great Kevin De Bruyne.

The remote duel for the Ballon d’Or between the Belgian and Benzema has kept all its promises tonight. Before the Frenchman’s double, De Bruyne played the orchestra conductor, scorer then decisive passer in the first ten minutes. Phil Foden was also a goalscorer, as were Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus. The only downside on the side of City’s attack: the performance of Riyad Mahrez, paradoxical, which perfectly illustrates English frustrations when Manchester seemed ready to take off in the game.

The Algerian winger was available but very clumsy. He suffered the ire of Guardiola after finding the side netting, touching the post just after returning from the locker room, and failing to score a splendid goal after a solitary raid. Mahrez will therefore have done everything, decisive passer on the first goal and almost a second time at the end of the match on crosses at the far post. But the Cityzens lacked a little something to take a two-goal lead before the return leg.

Frustrating according to Bernardo Silva, as he explained at the microphone of Canal+ after the game : “It’s a shame not to have won with a bigger gap. (…) We toasted more chances than Madrid. And in the end, we only won 4-3.” The extremism of the Cityzens finally pushed them to the fault, with these three goals conceded. “We should have better maintained the advantage we had. Three times, we had two goals in advance, but it’s the C1, that’s how it is”explained Bernardo Silva.

Because Real Madrid knew how to derail the City machine by going in particular to press it high. On several occasions, the Etihad Stadium supporters held their breath on audacious raises from their goalkeeper. A risk taking in the image of an absolutist Guardiola, aware of the difficulties of his team, as he indicated after the match: “I think the moment they managed to ramp up, we were nervous when usually we are quite calm. They pressed us well.”

But City were able to regain momentum, especially on the goal of Bernardo Silva, which follows a sequence of thirty-one consecutive passes spread over a possession of 1’48”. Not so bad for a team that was going through a low. “We had a fantastic match”, Guardiola pointed out. Just like Real Madrid, who showed great mentality in “curving back”, as Karim Benzema pointed out. The show will in any case have been well assured and a new fireworks display will be expected in the return match at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium.


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