CR7 stardust sorely missed
> Real are football royalty but they were there for the taking
chance, it was a reminder that even £50m can’t guarantee a first touch these days. A winner at that stage would have been priceless but the ex-Liverpool man’s reaction suggested he’d spent too long with his shisha pipe.
But it would be unfair to make Sterling the scapegoat. Some of City’s bigger names – even Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne – were nonentities, and City were indebted to the heroics of Joe Hart for still being in the tie.
In mitigation, with David Silva limping off and Yaya Toure not starting, they were devoid of dynamism in midfield and unable to get either Aguero or substitute Kelechi Iheanacho in the game. But their overall lack of thrust was a reminder that their failure to beat any of the top sides in the Premier League is not a curious oddity after all.
Still, even for flat-track bullies, there was an overwhelming sense that Tuesday was a missed opportunity. Real are football royalty but they were there for the taking. Besides Ronaldo, Karim Benzema may as well have not come on while Gareth Bale flitted about to little effect.
But even against a “BBC” barely in service, a rookie manager Zinedine Zidane and with home advantage, City couldn’t capitalise. You feel they’ll never have a better chance. Even Wolfsburg led 20 after the home leg.
Now with Silva definitely out and Ronaldo probably back for the return, the odds are very much on Real progressing next week. At least Pep Guardiola may be relieved – a City win would not only give him an awkward finale if Bayern also get through, it would be a lot for him to live up to next season. As it stands, he is likely to lose more sleep fretting about his current team than his future one.
Even with all his tactical theSun ON FRIDAY
wizardry and a powerful side at his disposal, he could not get past the immovable object that is Atletico Madrid.
Facing them in the Calderon was the shortest straw of the semifinals and even with 74% possession Bayern were unable to pierce a defence that has conceded only 16 goals in La Liga all season.
But they will be encouraged by the chances they created – two in injury time – and should prevail in front of their own fans at the Allianz Arena.
Diego Simeone will not be able to whip up the crowd next week and you feel that they will miss that “extra man” under what is sure to be a 90-minute long siege.
Atletico may be the ultimate blue-collar team but they did provide the one unforgettable moment of the two games – and one of the greatest goals the European Cup has seen.
Little known 20-year-old APRIL 29, 2016
Saul Niguez slithered through the Bayern defence in a manner worthy of Messi himself and applied the deftest of Messiesque finishes.
In a non-vintage year, perhaps the best way a tournament can be remembered is for a genuine underdog to triumph.
And when the nearest team to the Harlem Globetrotters are missing (having fallen to Atletico in the last round), it would surely benefit the Champions League if it were to be touched with a bit of Leicester-like spirit.
Both Atletico and City are much bigger clubs than the Foxes but neither have won the tournament - the Spaniards have been runnersup twice – and if either were to upset the odds, it may be one way of putting at least a mat finish on a tournament that has all too rarely shone. Unless, of course, Ronaldo decides to apply a bit of last minute polish.