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Manchester City traveled to Real Madrid for their Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday night (4 May). The English champions were the better team in the first leg and deservedly secured a 4-3 win at the Etihad last week.
Unfortunately, their slender one-goal advantage was not going to be enough, not in front of a roaring Santiago Bernabeu crowd on a magical Champions League night.
Even after seeing Riyad Mahrez put the visitors 1-0 up on the night in the 73rd minute, Real Madrid refused to throw in the towel and kept believing. The Whites turned on their charm in the 11th hour, leveling the game on aggregate (5-5), courtesy of an invaluable Rodrgyo brace (90 and 90+1 minutes).
Then, in extra time, Los Blancos’ ever-reliable talisman Karim Benzema converted from the spot to take his team to their 17th Champions League final. The game ended 3-1 (6-5 on aggregate) in favor of the Whites, crushing City’s hope of reaching their second consecutive final.
Although Los Merengues started the game on the front foot, City were the ones to register the first shot on target. In the 10th minute, Mahrez took a shot from distance, but Thibaut Courtois was perfectly placed to collect the ball.
Five minutes later, Kevin De Bruyne had a go, but the outcome was no different. In the 20th minute, Bernardo Silva went for goal with a half-volley, but Courtois refused to be beaten by the Portuguese’s effort. A few minutes before the half-time interval, Phil Foden dispatched a right-footed strike, but the Belgian keeper was equal to his effort.
City finally took the lead in the 73rd minute, courtesy of a superb strike from Mahrez. The winger collected the ball on the right, shifted to his left foot, and beat Courtois with a ferocious strike at his near post. Joao Cancelo and Jack Grealish came close to doubling City’s advantage but were narrowly denied by Courtois and Ferland Mendy, respectively.
In the 90th minute, Rodrygo struck from close range to give Madrid a glimmer of home. In the first minute of injury time, the Brazilian scored again to push the game into extra time.
Finally, Benzema won and converted a 95th-minute penalty to seal a 3-1 win for Real Madrid, setting a final date with Liverpool on 28 May.
Here are five Manchester City players who failed to live up to their billing in the Premier League champions' catastrophic collapse in Madrid on Wednesday:
#5 Ruben Dias
Truth be told, Ruben Dias kept up really well with Benzema in the first half, rarely affording the Frenchman any breathing room. Unfortunately, all his good work was undone in the first half of extra time when he conceded the penalty that helped Real Madrid win the tie.
Benzema got to Rodrygo’s cutback marginally ahead of Dias. The Portuguese had already committed himself to the tackle and ended up bringing down the French international inside the box.
The referee pointed to the spot, with the VAR backing his decision. The 34-year-old forward stepped up to take the penalty and coolly put it away to book Madrid's spot in the final.
Dias lost three duels, misplaced four long balls, and ceded possession 12 times. An unlucky night for the '2021 PFA Player of the Year' winner.
#4 Oleksandr Zinchenko
Coming in late into a high-octane encounter is never easy, and it certainly did not work in Oleksandr Zinchenko’s favor on Wednesday night.
The Ukrainian full-back was brought in for Kyle Walker in the 72nd minute after the Englishman was forced to leave the field due to injury. He shifted to the left, as usual, leaving the right flank to Joao Cancelo.
In the next 20 odd minutes, Rodrygo skipped past his resistance twice and scored a decisive brace. He also squandered a great opportunity to score from a free kick in the closing minutes of regulation time.
Against Madrid, the left-back registered one clearance, lost possession 15 times, and committed a foul on Rodrygo, which earned him a booking.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne ran the show in the first leg, scoring a goal and creating another.
Last night, he looked like a shadow of his usual self, failing to make the impact we have grown to expect from him.
He was often slow to react and could not thread passes through as easily. The Belgian was substituted in the 72nd minute, with Ilkay Gundogan replacing him.
Before being hooked off, De Bruyne played 32 passes with 84 percent accuracy, misplaced both his crosses, lost possession 13 times, and lodged only one shot on target.
It was not an abysmal shift by any means, but the performance certainly was not up to De Bruyne’s usual lofty standards.
#2 Jack Grealish
Manchester City’s summer signing Jack Grealish came on for Gabriel Jesus in the 78th minute. The Englishman tried his best to make an impact but instead ended up missing two great chances in regulation time. Had he even put one of those away, City could have been well on their way to their second consecutive Champions League final appearance.
First, Grealish did well to cut in from the left and engineer an opening. His shot, however, was tame and was cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy. Moments later, Gundogan played Foden into space but, once again, he could not take the shot beyond Courtois’ reach.
The former Aston Villa midfielder was also partially at fault for not tracking Daniel Carvajal, who ended us assisting Rodrygo’s second goal of the night.
Against Real Madrid, Grealish was beaten in three ground duels, lost possession seven times, and committed two fouls.
His numbers may not be poor, but his performance certainly did not do his massive price tag (£100 million) any justice.
#1 Gabriel Jesus
Given the form he was in, Gabriel Jesus' performance at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday was certainly a massive disappointment.
Even without David Alaba, the Madrid defenders were on the Brazilian's heels, keeping him from popping up in dangerous areas.
Before being taken off for Grealish in the 78th minute, Jesus only lodged a single shot on target. He made 23 passes, misplacing five of them.
Additionally, he only played a single key pass, was beaten in three of his five duels, and lost possession seven times.
The Manchester City forward also committed two fouls and was once caught offside.
