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Manchester City should’ve been home and dry after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The Cityzens completely dominated Carlo Ancelotti’s side and ultimately secured a 4-3 victory. This contest will go down as one of the most entertaining European matches in recent memory.
Despite winning, there remains a sour taste in the mouths of many Manchester City fans, as their team could, and should, have won more convincingly.
Home and away ties are always tricky but you’ve got to take your chances when they come your way. Real Madrid were there for the taking but Pep Guardiola’s side simply failed to make the most of their opportunities.
Cityzens fail to kill the game
Manchester City had Real Madrid on the ropes for large spells but appeared to take their eyes off the prize when it mattered most.
They had several chances to kill off the game and failed to put the match beyond the reach of Los Blancos after a surprisingly wasteful performance in front of the goal.
At 2-0, Riyad Mahrez missed a glorious opportunity. At 3-1, Phil Foden failed to convert from six yards out. And, at 4-2, Ruben Diaz failed to connect to a delightful cross when he was left unmarked in the Madrid box.
Even worse, the goals Manchester City conceded were preventable. Oleksandr Zinchenko failed to properly mark Karim Benzema for the Spanish side’s opener. The entire defence was also caught off guard for Vinicius Junior’s strike, and Aymeric Laporte’s handball for the penalty was somewhat careless.
A Guardiola-managed team is usually ruthless and devoid of mistakes. But Manchester City were the complete opposite on Tuesday and ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
Manchester City could regret missed chances
Football is a cut-throat sport and the best team doesn’t always win. The Cityzens may have been the better side in the first leg but their failure to take their chances could come back to haunt them.
Not many teams can play poorly and leave the Etihad with a narrow 4-3 defeat, but Real Madrid are the masters of making the most of their opportunities.
Ancelotti’s side is quite old fashioned and they just have a way of getting results, even if they don’t play well.
Guardiola admitted his team's shortcomings: (from NDTV Sports)
"It was a fantastic game for both sides. We did many good things. Unfortunately we conceded goals and we could not score more. What we have done with the ball and without the ball, creating chances and chances and chances, I can't ask anything else."
He continued:
"We played a fantastic game against an incredible team. The moments where they rise and come back into the game in the first half, I think we gave them as our build-up was so nervous.”
City are still favorites to advance to the final, but their failure to kill the game in the first leg could be their undoing in the return fixture.
