Below are the talking points from the action-packed draw between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid:
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Defending Premier League champions Manchester City survived an extremely difficult challenge against Atletico Madrid to book their place in the semifinals of the Champions League. Kevin De Bruyne’s only goal midway through the second half proved to be the difference for Pep Guardiola’s side in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium last week. In the end, the narrow lead proved to be enough for City as they held the Spanish champions to a goalless draw in the second leg in Madrid to book their passage through to the semifinals. The second leg match might not have seen any goals but it was an action-packed encounter with a lot of incidents happening without the ball.
Below are the talking points from the action-packed draw between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid:
It is not the type of game where Manchester City have normally thrived under Pep Guardiola. City have the technical capability to get past any side using their footballing skills. They are an efficient team with and without the ball. It has been difficult to get the ball away from City’s players in possession and they close down the opponents quickly when not in possession to win the ball back.
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If there is one weakness, it is playing against physical sides. Guardiola’s side have a habit of struggling to play at their best against teams that put long balls into the box and compete using their height and physical advantage. Atletico take it to a whole other level, making it difficult for City to even win a single 50-50 ball without a hard-fought challenge. This tie was the most difficult encounter they have played in this competition and City – to their credit – have passed it with flying colours.
Manchester City would have realised from the start of the first leg that this tie cannot be played in their usual way. While they had the majority of the possession in both the matches, Guardiola’s side did not trouble Atletico’s goal enough. In the first leg, City had 71% possession but only two shots were on target. In the second leg, they had 61% possession but only one shot was on target.
It was not like Atletico created many chances. Diego Simeone’s side had zero shots on goal at Etihad and produced three strikes on target at their home in the reverse leg. This was an intense and physical battle that needed both teams to shed all their energy on the pitch. It was not the type of game Guardiola’s City normally plays, but they adapted well to come out of it on a positive note.
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Their reward for the hard-fought victory against a difficult Atletico Madrid side is a semifinal date with another team from the Spanish capital – Real Madrid. The record European champions are the ultimate test any team can face in the Champions League.
They will be heading into the competition on the back of impressive victories against Paris Saint-Germain and defending champions Chelsea in the last two rounds. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be brimming with confidence for the blockbuster semifinal. It goes without saying that the upcoming semifinal clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City will be the most anticipated clash of the tournament till now.
