The UEFA Champions League returned to action during the week and taking the stage was the first-leg, semi-final encounter between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. A cracking battle awaited between two teams full of talent, but the actual result was a match that was far from absorbing and lacking in exciting action as it ended in a 0-0 draw.
To put it bluntly, it was a dull encounter played out in front of a capacity crowd that rarely got the pulses racing until the final quarter hour or so. Even then, it lacked the same vibrancy and life that many have come to expect from Europe’s elite club competition.
The repercussions of the final scoreline won’t be fully realised until the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Madrid will likely be the more satisfied considering Cristiano Ronaldo was unavailable and they still managed to avoid a negative result.
So, let’s take a detailed look at exactly how the match panned out with our tactical analysis.
Madrid void of incisive threat
There was little in the way of chances coming from the boots of any of Madrid’s attackers. Overall, they struggled to create clear-cut chances for themselves and were left to feed off scraps for much of the match.
Sergio Ramos nodded a header on target early in the second half, before Jese Rodriguez (who came on for Karim Benzema) hit the crossbar with a header from a similar position, but their general play in terms of creation and slick interchanges was really lacking. Even Luka Modric, who was always going to be key on the night, failed to create much of note aside from the odd attractive flick or pass here and there.
Simply put, Madrid’s play was static, erratic and full of lots of unnecessary passes that offered little of consequence – not worthy of this stage of the competition.
As outlined by this Squawka graphic, they didn’t possess the requisite shrewd performer to create danger in the opposition 18-yard area for a long time. In fact, it took them a full 71 minutes before completing a pass inside City’s penalty area when Carvajal fed Rodriguez for his effort that hit the woodwork:
Toni Kroos’ 65th-minute long-range effort from 30 yards was typical of the danger they created near Joe Hart’s 18-yard box. Their lack of threat was symptomatic of City’s excellent defending, but many would still have expected a lot more from one of La Liga’s best outfits.
With Cristiano Ronaldo forced to become a spectator for the evening on the bench with a muscle strain, it was more evident than ever that Zizou’s team are overly-reliant on the Portuguese star’s services. Had he been on the field, it would have probably been only a matter of time before he plonked the ball in the back of the net.
The competition’s all-time top scorer has sort of made a habit of it.
Both teams defended with skill and intelligence
City’s work was a lot more visible than that of Madrid’s due to the way they pressed and squeezed in the middle of the park, but Los Merengues did their fair share of defending, too.
After all, only Everton, Dynamo Kyiv and Manchester United had managed to keep Manuel Pellegrini’s team from scoring at the City of Manchester stadium this season before Madrid joined the list, so the visitors deserve some credit for the way they forced the hosts into firing a blank. Before the match, many had pin-pointed the rearguard as Madrid’s main weakness, but it didn’t turn out that way.
DW Sports summed up Pepe’s solid performance with this straight-talking tweet:
Alongside his fellow centre-half Ramos, he worked tirelessly to keep out whatever threats came their way. His unending work ethic was capped off wonderfully by his excellently-timed late interception to deny Raheem Sterling a clear goal-scoring opportunity to steal the lead.
The industrious philosophy spread right throughout the team like wild-fire and Carvajal got in on the act a few times, never any less importantly than when he carried out a tactical foul on Kevin De Bruyne in the 91st minute. On the whole, it wasn’t the most polished of defensive displays, but it worked and that’s all the fans will care about for now.
However, it was arguably the home side whose efforts were more noticeable. Much like for their opponents, City’s back-line has often been touted as their Achilles’ heel (even Gary Lineker voiced his concerns about their ability before the match), but they stood up to the challenge really well. Vincent Kompany was in fine form as he rallied his troops and the whole team worked incredibly well as a unit in shielding Joe Hart’s goal.
Often, the entire XI got behind the ball to repel Madrid’s attacks, and it proved an impenetrable barrier throughout.
The presence of both Fernando and Fernandinho in the middle of the park really aided their defensive efforts because they were so incessant in their challenges, impressive back-tracking and willingness to run; it was a masterclass in how to play unselfishly, and it really impacted on their team’s game-plan.
Aguero and company lacked the right service
Pellegrini’s charges showed tremendous heart in their approach and they clearly exhibited great hunger to go and win the match, but they just didn’t test Keylor Navas in between the Madrid posts nearly enough.
As discussed, the Sky Blues chased this match with searing desire and their efforts at the back were highly commendable to say the least. However, while they looked very eager to rattle the back of the net, their yearning was not matched by their means.
De Bruyne, Jesus Navas and Sergio Aguero all looked dangerous in attack, but they simply couldn’t fashion the right amount of chances for each other. Time and again, the delivery lacked the accuracy and menace to cause enough problems. On other occasions, they simply played the wrong pass, attempted a take-on instead of squaring the ball or failed to see a team-mate in a good position.
They didn’t look sharp on the offensive, something best summed up by the match stats which shows just how much they let themselves down going forward:
In the 89th minute, De Bruyne almost unlocked the Los Blancos defence with the really intelligent idea to fashion a reverse pass, but his execution was lacking and the ball squirted away harmlessly instead of landing in Sterling’s path. Minutes before that, the £49 million ex-Liverpool star really let himself down with a poor touch after being played through on goal which allowed Pepe the chance to steal in and clear.
Nobody could have faulted their work-rate and energy but the theme of disjointed attacks was something their fans will certainly feel aggrieved at.
Looking at their performance in the cold light of day, they perhaps spent too much energy on looking to contain Madrid when they should have gambled a little more on pushing players forward in support. After all, while they often broke very promisingly, their attacks often seemed rushed due to a lack of options. That said, this tie is still all to play for and with a little more confidence in themselves, they can take this one right to the wire.
