Sub Foden’s touch of class helps De Bruyne put City in control
MANCHESTER CITY De Bruyne 70 ATLETICO MADRID
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Kevin De Bruyne struck 20 minutes from time as Manchester City grabbed a slender advantage in their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.
The Belgian playmaker fired home from a tight angle after Phil Foden came off the bench to stunning effect in a tense first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Atletico were their usual dogged, defensive selves for most of the game and frustrated City, despite the hosts' dominance of possession.
Yet the introduction of Foden as part of a triple substitution by Pep Guardiola in the 68th minute paid dividends.
Within moments, he slipped in De Bruyne with a delicate through ball and he finished firmly to put City in control heading into next week's second leg in the Spanish capital.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone had promised Atletico would play their usual cagey game and he was as good as his word, forcing City to play patiently.
The first half was played at a slow tempo with City controlling most of the ball, but being unable to create openings. De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo both had efforts deflected wide and Aymeric Laporte missed the target with a header.
Raheem Sterling felt he should have had a free-kick on the left edge of the area after a good run and Bernardo Silva went down in the box moments later but nothing was given. Yet still City were not greatly threatening and it was not until the second half they tried to inject more pace into their play.
This did open the game up slightly and Atletico almost capitalised with a couple of breaks from deep.
City appealed for another penalty for a push by Reinildo on Sterling as he attempted to latch onto a De Bruyne through ball, but referee Istvan Kovacs was not interested.
That proved Sterling's final involvement as Guardiola took him off in the move that changed the game.
His decision paid off as Foden, who came on alongside Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus, teed up De Bruyne, who drilled a low shot past Jan Oblak.
Atletico then became the frustrated side and the game became scrappy and niggly, before finally ending after several stoppages.