MANCHESTER CITY FC V REAL MADRID CF @ Etihad Stadium
Wednesday Night saw One of the Biggest names in European football makes it`s first ever trip to the Etihad stadium, As the Most Successful team in European Club football History, Champions of Spain Real Madrid CF playing the English Champions Manchester City.
Yet again if the Manchester Team had any hopes at all of Qualifying for the next they needed to play a great game and beat the Spanish Giants and not let them in the game. Of course City being City the first 20 mins was all Madrid pressure and was run by some Portuguese player called Ronaldo! He was given the usual treatment given out ex-United player, but more so than ever that night. He was beating the City players all ends up using him normal trickery and slick passing and cutting them shreds.
And for so long City had repelled all Madrid pressure, Then in the 10th a cross by Di Maria played to the back post over the City Defenders and Karim Benzema ran onto fire it past Hart in goals for 1-0 lead, as Maicon stood there as if he someone forgot to control him like on Fifa game!
City then had their first attempt on goal from Argentine Sergio Aguero as his shot was saved from Iker Casillas in Madrid goals. But Madrid for all the possession couldn`t get the 2nd goal as Khedira had a couple of chances to score but couldn`t find the target. Then a ball that was quickly pounced on by Ronaldo as he broke away from the City defenders, he brought Joe Hart out of goal and flicked it past him towards goals as luckily Nastastic cleared the slow bouncing ball off the line much to the Frustration of Ronaldo and every City fan. City changed formation YET AGAIN, By going from the Controversial 3-5-2 that has led to many problems and comments by plenty of people, And revert to the normal 4-2-3-1 formation they used last season when they landed the League Championship.
At Half time City escaped being 1-0 down as the scoreline could easily have been 6 or 7!
HALF TIME : Manchester City 0- 1 REAL Madrid
Second half started with a substitution with Alesander Kolarov being replaced by Javi Garcia as City came out and played the best they had in the Champions League since losing to Madrid at the Bernebau in September.
If the First half was about Ronaldo then the second half for me was about City Star and Spanish International David Silva as he ran the midfield as he brought City into the game more and had ex-Barcelona player Yaya Toure to help out. City were more threatening but equally wobbly at the back too as a couple of times Madrid got passed City far too easily.
With City trying to speed up play abit with quicker attacks it was always being held for some of the most Embarrassing theatricals i`ve ever seen. I thought Tottenham a few weeks ago were extremely bad when they went to ground so easily, But European side and especially Spanish teams they when down as if they had been Hypnotised when they ran towards a blue shirt. Was extremely annoying and disgraceful, as a few City player were charged hard in the back and the kicked lumps out off by ex- Liverpool players Alonso and Arbeloa.
The Italian official was terribly poor for both sides, as a couple of fouls on Ronaldo when unpunished, a fair hard tackle by Zabeleta on his Argentina team mate Di Maria, when he slid and won the ball clearly. Had Card happy ref brandishing yellow cards Left right and centre. I think i counted about 10 Yellow Cards between the side as it was far far away from a Dirty game at all.
City fans felt the Ref was against them 90% of the time, and when a yellow for no reason was given to a City player. A Madrid Blantantly dives in the area and Ref gave nothing to which Aguero asked why he wasn`t given a card for diving as it was either a Penalty or a booking! Aguero thought he`d mad it 1-1 when at the back post shot it goalwards but was kept out with the ribs of Casillas and cleared away.
City was then handed a lifeline as Arbeloa was given a 2nd Yellow for tangling with Aguero in the Penalty area and awarded a Penalty to the Home side. To which the Argentinian striker stepped up and side footed it to the keepers left and equalised for 1-1 and made the 17 mins interesting.
Kompany looked to be fouled but decision went other way and picked up a worrying injury ahead of Chelsea on Sunday. He came back on limping and City pressed for the Winner as Silva was pulling Madrid apart with his play, a change was made with Tevez on for Sergio. It baffled many as he was the most threatening striker between him and Dzeko to score!
Game went end to end and the board was Held up for 5 min, as all the Time wasting by Madrid must have been added on. Mourinho applauded sarcastically for the amount given and was given a rendition of "That Coat from Matalan"
Into Injury time a pass to Yaya Toure who proceeded to launch it into space and probably go when the Space jump happened not long ago
Whistle blew for Full time and City were Knocked out and Madrid qualified
FULL TIME: Manchester City 1 - 1 Real Madrid
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