Watching this Champions League semi-final thriller, in which his Manchester City side had a solid first-leg lead at various points, saw Pep Guardiola witness an agonizing manager.
He was red hot as Riyad Mahrez hit the side netting with Phil Foden to put the square pass in front of goal. After 26 minutes that could have been 3-0 for City.
Guardiola looked like he was about to curl up in a ball when Rúben Dias passed the ball moments later and let Vinícius Júnior through, although the Real striker failed to finish. City’s defense was unusually loose.
And what about that moment in the 54th minute just after Foden made it 3-1? Guardiola was expecting a throw-in for his team, only for it to go the other way. He responded by chasing the fourth official to receive a yellow card. Vinícius would make it 3-2 almost immediately.
It’s what City’s quest for a first Champions League does to the man who wants it, maybe needs it, more than anyone else. And maybe that’s what playing against this Real team does to the opponents. Facing them is like walking in a park with a lion on the loose. Good, even quite entertaining, exciting. Then suddenly it’s not okay anymore. Things looked ridiculously easy for City when Gabriel Jesus made it 2-0 in the 11th minute. They could have led 4-0 in the first half hour. And yet the lead at half-time was only 2-1 as Karim Benzema had appeared to show his deadly prowess.
Karim Benzema flicks the ball over Ederson to throw another lifeline to Real Madrid. Photo: Peter Powell/EPACity pressed again after Vinícius’ goal. When Oleksandr Zinchenko was fouled by Toni Kroos, everyone seemed to stop – certainly Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Carvajal. Not Bernardo Silva. With an intelligent advantage from referee Istvan Kovacs, the City midfielder fired into the near top corner and Guardiola was able to lose himself with joy.
It wouldn’t be long before Real paused to regroup. Aymeric Laporte leaped at a high ball and nodded it into his outstretched arm. Penalty. No one doubted that Benzema would convert, but the panenka, pulled up in the middle, the disguise perfect, was boldness and composure from another level. Benzema is the competition’s top scorer with 14 goals while he has scored 41 goals in 41 games for Real this season. Guardiola dropped onto a drinks cooler.
Real had long been second best in the round of 16 and quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Still, they’ve found a way to pull through – partly thanks to Benzema’s goals, partly because of their history of who they are. The 13-time winners refuse to lose in this competition. And they are still alive in this issue.
Kevin De Bruyne heads in the opening goal within two minutes. Photo: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianIn the final act, Dias stretched at Real’s far post to hit a cross, only to fail to stretch enough. Guardiola went through his final contortions. In the heat of the moment, it was easy to forget that City had actually beaten the designated Spanish champions and outplayed them for a long time. They should have scored more goals. It’s never good to have that opponent fight another day.
It was City’s third European Cup semi-final while it was No. 31 for Real. Just enjoy it, Guardiola had told his players and City did just that from the start, drawing first blood after 93 seconds. Mahrez sliced into a gap and dodged Luka Modric before selecting the late run from Kevin De Bruyne, who threw himself in the header while Carvajal – and then Thibaut Courtois – flailed.
The Etihad had been an oddly subdued place as the countdown to kick-off ticked down. Now there was a stir, and when the second gate fell, there was joy, even disbelief. Foden got off to the left and when he found De Bruyne the flank was whipped into the area. David Alaba tried to back down from Jesus in order to back down possessions, which felt risky, and he got it all wrong. When Jesus turned, the ball was still at his feet. The exit was easy.
Real defenders felt particularly uncomfortable on the ball when City pressed. The visitors were on the alert, and it felt like City was about to do some serious damage. Mahrez had to pass to Foden just to take the shot – a poor decision – while Foden swept past the far post after a smooth counterattack. Foden’s nimble feet and velvety touch were eye-catching.
However, the defensive nervousness wasn’t exclusive to Real. City goalkeeper Ederson played a couple of bad passes in the first half and called for pressure, while Dias was caught on the ball on more than one occasion. Vinícius flared, Alaba rose to miss a header and then Benzema scored with a controlled volley from a Ferland Mendy cross.
The Fiver: Sign up and receive our daily football email.
Guardiola had to replace the injured John Stones, who was filling in at right-back in the absence of Kyle Walker and João Cancelo, with Fernandinho. It was the 36-year-old who crossed for Foden’s goal just after Éder let Militão Mahrez through to roll against the far post. Foden shot from the rebound and Carvajal blocked.
But it was Fernandinho who was beaten 3-2 and passed by Vinícius, City’s defensive cover was nowhere to be seen. Laporte and Mahrez missed big chances on either side of Silva’s goal but the last word would go to Benzema.