Man City showed their seriousness to win first Champions League finals when they beat Madrid to book a date with Inter Milan in the finals.
Pep Guardiola’s boys were the better side from the onset, as they kept knocking at Real Madrid’s shaky defence that felt the absence of Antonio Rudiger.
There were tactical signs all over when Guardiola employed a three-defence line instead of the traditional four men at the back. John Stones was used as a midfielder, and the England center back had a field day at the heart of the midfield.
He made sure that Real Madrid’s midfield talisman Luka Modrick couldn’t get balls to supply to their lethal wingers in Rodrygo on the right, and Vinicious Junior on the left.
It was until twenty fourth minute that the Portuguese playmaker Benardo Silva pulled a thunderous left footer that found Thebut Curtois unable to keep a clean sheet at Etihad. In the thirty seventh minute, again Benardo Silva pushed a header that saw City go to the halftime break two goals to their advantage.
Second half was no different. Manchester City kept on creating more chances that would have seen Harlaand get his name in the scoresheet, but his attempt were well thwarted by Curtois, Madrid’s custodian.
In the seventy sixth minute, Eder Militao scored in their own net to make it 3-0. The goal aggregate would have been 4-1 in favour of City, but coach Pep Guardiola introduced World Cup winner Julien Alverez in the place of Norwegian Harlaand. The Argentine pulled the forth goal for Man City in the dying minutes if extra time to make it 4-0.
City will now meet Inter Milan in this summer’s Champions League finals. This is going to be City’s second time to play in the Champions League finals. The first one was when they met Chelsea FC as the Stamford Bridge outfit won the title in 2020/2021 season.
