Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola went head-to-head on Tuesday in a riveting match from start to finish. Manchester City defeated Real Madrid 4-3 at the Etihad as the two sides now prepare for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
City will head into next Wednesday’s second leg with a one goal advantage as Guardiola looks to add a Champions League title to his Etihad trophy cabinet. The first leg was a footballing showcase as two of the best teams and coaches in world football went toe-to-toe in an epic 90 minutes of action. The match was full of drama from the off as City raced to a two goal lead after just 11 minutes of play. Question marks over Real’s defending were raised as they desperately missed Casemiro at the base of midfield.
City Overwhelm Real
Ancelotti has often looked to sit deep and absorb the pressure against the top sides in the Champions League this season. Even from the start of the campaign, they sat deep and tried to hit on the counter. Cast your thoughts back to their 1-0 away victory against Inter in the group stages in September. In both legs against PSG and Chelsea, in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively, Ancelotti’s side never had the better of possession and instead, looked to exploit the pace of Vinicius Jr. on the counter.
A similar story unfolded on Tuesday evening as Real had just 40% possession over the course of the match but were still able to knock three past Ederson. Of course, the clinical quality in attack allows Real to set up like this – Karim Benzema has been on fire this season, scoring 25 goals in La Liga, as well as 14 in ten in the Champions League.
From the off, Real sat deep as they looked to contain the attacking excellence of City. If anything, this welcomed more pressure and the Citizens quickly raced to a two goal lead. The absence of Casemiro was sorely missed as Toni Kroos struggled in the no. 6 position in front of the defense – David Alaba also had a torrid night before being hooked at half-time.
Ancelotti instructed his players to play more aggressively, particularly in the absence of Casemiro. However, this often led to his defense getting caught out of position. Pep’s traditional use of pushing his wingers high and wide caused all sorts of problems as they looked to hit balls from deep in behind the Real defense. This led to City’s second, with Eder Militao being forced to close down Phil Foden out wide on the left flank, leaving his position in the centre of defense. Alaba’s poor night continued as Gabriel Jesus was able to get the better of him before finishing past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Hit Back
Things could have been different for Ancelotti if City were able to capitalise on a Riyad Mahrez chance. The hosts ripped Real’s defense a part once more as Mahrez picked the ball up on the right. He couldn’t find Foden in the box and instead shot into the side netting. Guardiola was furious on the touchline – the game could have been put to bed there and then.
Instead, City became lackadaisical and sloppy in possession as the intensity slowed. Credit has to be given to the press by Benzema and Vinicius Jr. but Ederson often pondered on the ball. With the absence of Kyle Walker at right-back, Real looked to double up down the left. Ferland Mendy picked the ball up on the left flank before finding Benzema with a fantastic cross. The forward unduly delivered with a cute finish.
Vinicius Jr. played a key role in Madrid’s comeback as his speed on the counter caused problems. Fernandinho had to come on at right-back as John Stones was forced off due to injury. Initially, the aggressiveness and anticipation worked out well for City as Fernandinho was able to intercept the ball ahead of Vinicius Jr., before assisting Foden for City’s third. However, it was also a cause for problems. Later on, Vinicius Jr. got the better of Fernandinho and a brilliant bit of skill, coupled with his elite speed, allowed the Brazilian to get in behind and make it 3-2.
Individual brilliance, particularly from the elite calibre of players, can sometimes undo tactics. This was the case for Bernardo Silva’s fantastic strike to make it 4-2. An audacious Benzema panenka from the penalty spot with less the ten minutes remaining summed up an evening of enthralling football form start to finish.
Ancelotti Ahead of the Second Leg
The resilience in Ancelotti’s real is clear to see – they overturned a two goal deficit to knock PSG out of the Champions League in the last 16. Real also saw a 3-1 first leg lead over Chelsea quickly turn to a deficit as they went 3-0 down in the second leg to make it 4-3. However, Luka Modric and Benzema were at hand to take the reins and win Real the tie.
“In the moment, it’s very important to not lose your head, that’s a characteristic of this team. We’ve seen it many times. The shoulders never drop. The heads remain cold,” Ancelotti stated after the City match.
Real are a goal down heading into the second leg against City and his side will have to hit back next Wednesday. The return of Casemiro in midfield will be a big boost to add some stability in front of the defense. Despite the wealth of experience within Ancelotti’s side, there are still a number of players that lack experience at the top level. Militao, Mendy, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. have all made less Champions League appearances than 21-year-old Foden. Perhaps another comeback could be too much.
City are certainly not strangers from succumbing to the pressure of the Champions League, however, previously being knocked out by Monaco, Liverpool, Tottenham and Lyon at crucial stages. Pep will perhaps look to some more defensive stability as they head to the Bernabeu next Wednesday.
We’re in for a dramatic conclusion to see who can reach the final, with fellow English side Liverpool taking a 2-0 advantage ahead of their second leg against Villarreal. In the words of Pep, “Football sometimes, you know, happens.”