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Barcelona manager Xavi has said that Manchester City were deserved winners in their Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid.
The Sky Blues ran out 4-0 victors at the Etihad on Wednesday to win the tie 5-1 on aggregate and blow away the holders in emphatic fashion.
Bernardo Silva netted a first-half brace, while Manuel Akanji struck after the break. Julian Alvarez came off the bench to add gloss to the scoreline with a fourth goal, as Madrid were dealt their heaviest European defeat in 14 years.
Xavi was asked to share his thoughts on the match and he claimed that City were deserved winners on the night. Speaking at a recent press conference, he said (via Barca Universal):
“For the Cules it must have been a joy, but as professionals, we give a lot of importance to La Liga. The value is not that Madrid lose, the value is to see the joy of the fans.
“Man City were deserved winners in the semi-finals. For me, they are the best team in the world.”
Manchester City are looking to complete a historic treble this season, having reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the Champions League, and with the Premier League almost sewn up too.
Manchester City made light work of Real Madrid
Xavi's comments that Manchester City were "deserved winners" against Real Madrid aren't without basis. The Sky Blues were dominant right from the off and made the holders seem like a Sunday League outfit.
City came flying out of the blocks and passed the ball around quickly. Los Blancos, who had never won at the Etihad in their previous four visits there, struggled to cope with their intensity. If it wasn't for Thibaut Courtois' brilliance between the sticks, the game would've ended in the opening stanza itself.
Pep Guardiola's team also deserve credit for keeping Madrid's talismanic attacking duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior quiet. While Kyle Walker dealt superbly with the Brazilian, his partner was starved of service.
Together, the duo accounted for just one shot on target and completed a mere 34 passes as City rendered Benzema and Vinicius ineffective.
To further gauge their dominance, here's some interesting stats - City (16) had more than twice the number of shots as Madrid (7), more than twice the number of shots on target (8-3) held 60% of the possession.
Dominanted would be an understatement, for Real Madrid were outclassed by Manchester City.
