It’s half time in the Manchester City – Real Madrid game, and we’ve had a real cracker already.
There’s still a game and a half to play in this tie, but we’ve had 3 goals already, and could have had more.
Man City scored with their first two proper attacks, and could have added two more in the next ten minutes. But some selfish play saved Madrid, and soon after they had scored a goal of their own thanks to Karim Benzema.
You can see some of the reaction from Twitter here:
Madrid basically playing the whole half while suffering but somehow managing to deal with it. So they’re playing both kind of badly and kind of well? In fairness to City they weren’t rocked by the Madrid goal that much at all. City playing very well but also kind of sloppy? Dunno
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) April 26, 2022
Riveting half of football.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) April 26, 2022
Superb ball in from Ferland Mendy and an incredible execution from the man himself for Karim Benzema’s goal. But it was Luka Modrić’s drive and tenacity to win the ball back and start the move that was the best thing about that goal for me. A simply incredible competitor.
— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) April 26, 2022
Eder Militão struggling as much as he has all season. Gives the ball away cheaply there and stops in frustration. Benzema gets back to help out in the box and the ball breaks to Militão, still in midfield, who panics the ball away. Actions that don’t belong in the elite.
— Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) April 26, 2022
Carlo Ancelotti would probably take full time right now. A 2-1 loss with the chance to play 90 minutes at a rabid Bernabeu is a solid return, and the priority in the second half is to slow the game down and defend well.
City will make adjustments, but with Casemiro still on the bench, Ancelotti has changes of his own to make.