Champions League: Madrid’s defense in shatters as City win first leg 4-3
Real Madrid might be the leader of the La Liga table this season. And the record winners of the Champions League as well, but they have had significant defensive lapses this year.
It was visible in how they defended against Manchester City in the first leg of the UCL Semi-Final. One can say that their lack of poise at the back almost cost them the tie.
The tie between Madrid and City was a belter. People from all around the world were going gaga about it. And the 7-goal match certainly lived up to the expectation.
Madrid’s faltered defense
Madrid’s first lapse in defense occurred within 90 seconds of the game. It was Riyad Mahrez who spotted the run by Kevin de Bruyne before any Madrid defender could. This led to a goal within two minutes, and Real Madrid was shellshocked.
They didn’t seem to have recovered from that earlier goal when Jesus made the double.
Only 9 minutes down the line, Jesus received a great pass inside the box. He made a pitch-perfect turn to deceive the Madrid defender and blasted the goal past Courtois.
Suddenly it felt like it would be one of those games where Madrid would get pulverized. Benzema had other ideas, though, and he redeemed his team in the first half by scoring a superb volley.
At the stroke of halftime, City edged the game by 2-1.
The start of the second half was synonymous with the first one. Manchester City once again scored a goal at the expense of Madrid’s defense.
This time, Phil Foden scored a header off Fernandinho’s cross in the 53rd minute. It delighted the City manager as his team’s 2 goal lead was reinstated.
However, a great goal by Vinicius Junior canceled it out. The young Brazilian dummied Fernandinho at the midway line to get on to a great run. With players arriving inside the box, everyone expected him to place a cross. But the player had other ideas, and he finished a dazzling solo run by thrashing the ball into the net of his fellow Brazilian keeper.
Madrid forgot the basics
Suddenly Madrid seemed to be in more control of the game. Until another blip occurred in the 73rd minute. It was Tony Kroos this time who committed a silly foul on Zinchenko. The rest of the Madrid fans stood there waiting for the referees’ whistle, which never came. Instead, he played the advantage, and Bernardo Silva made the most of it.
The Portuguese midfielder thumped the 4th goal for Manchester City.
There was indeed no way Madrid could have justified what just happened. There is only rule in football that triumphs all: play until the referee’s whistle. It might sound like one of the most basic rules, but Madrid definitely lacked in all the fundaments last night. As a result, they were staring down a 4-2 loss against Manchester City.
A lucky incident and Benzema’s penalty brought the deficit back to 1 goal at the end of the day. Aymeric Laporte gave away a silly handball in the 82nd minute, which Benzema converted for his team.
In the end, Manchester City won the game by 4-3. They will be hoping to maintain their lead at the end of the second leg in Santiago Bernabeu. While Madrid will be hoping to forget this dismal outing and come back strong.
Either way, it will be a goal-fest for the neutrals to enjoy! So don’t forget to tune in to the second leg on 8th May 2022.
One Comment