As Bernardo Silva’s double destroyed Real Madrid in a 4-0 thrashing, securing a 5-1 aggregate victory for the English champions on Wednesday, Manchester City put on an incredible performance to advance to the Champions League final.
Pep Guardiola’s team had a memorable night, and they are now just three victories away from matching Manchester United’s treble from 1998–1999 thanks to goals from Eder Militao’s own goal and Julian Alvarez in stoppage time.
City’s fifth Premier League title in six seasons seems highly likely as they require only three points from their remaining three games. Additionally, United will be their opponents in the FA Cup final on June 3.
City’s primary objective is to win their first-ever Champions League title, and they are expected to be the dominant force against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.
The spectators at the home stadium were elated by the exceptional performance displayed by the team, which was comparable to the victories achieved by Guardiola’s former team, Barcelona, in the Champions League finals of 2009 and 2011. This occurred seven years after Guardiola took over as the manager of City.
City’s aspirations were thwarted by Madrid at this juncture in the previous season, as they staged an extraordinary comeback from a two-goal deficit in the final moments of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, this time, Carlo Ancelotti’s team was unable to counteract City’s superiority.
Before halftime, the defending champions would have been in serious trouble if it weren’t for Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The individual of considerable stature from Belgium utilized their two-meter (6ft 7in) frame to successfully redirect the trajectory of Erling Haaland’s header, preventing it from entering the goal.Courtois previously stopped Haaland from scoring his 53rd goal of the year with another downward header.Pot shots from the edge of the area by Rodri, John Stones, and Jack Grealish were observed, but Madrid’s fortune ceased at the 23rd minute.
The lock was successfully unpicked by Kevin De Bruyne, who located Silva inside the area with his pass. Silva then proceeded to smash the ball high past Courtois’ left hand.During the initial 30 minutes of the game, the visitors made minimal contact within the City’s half. However, approximately 10 minutes before the conclusion of the first half, Toni Kroos launched a powerful shot that nearly resulted in an equalizing goal, as the ball struck the crossbar.
City secured the second goal that their first half dominance merited, just as Madrid was starting to find their footing.Ilkay Gundogan’s attempt to score his fifth goal in May was obstructed by Eder Militao’s block. However, the ball’s trajectory was favorable, allowing Silva to head it into an open net.
Haaland’s attempt narrowly missed the target while Courtois prevented Silva from scoring three goals, as City maintained a relentless offensive before halftime.
A distinct approach was required by them in the beginning of the second half to withstand Madrid’s response and prevent a recurrence of the previous season’s tense finale between the two teams.
Real’s nearest encounter with a possible rescue was a curving free-kick by David Alaba that was deflected over by Ederson.Courtois persisted in triumphing over Haaland as he deflected the Norwegian’s one-on-one shot onto the bar.The victory of City in the war brings them closer to accomplishing a significant change in the club’s fate, which began with the takeover by Abu Dhabi in 2008.
Manuel Akanki’s header was deflected past Courtois by Militao, resulting in a self-inflicted blow to the Spanish giants. This occurred 15 minutes before the end of the game.Haaland was substituted by Alvarez in the final moments of the game, and the Argentine World Cup champion seized the opportunity to score a goal by receiving a pass from Phil Foden and placing it into the net.
