Reality check

MANUEL PELLEGRINI’S dream of leaving Manchester City as Champions League winners ended as most of Madrid prepared to decamp to Milan on May 28.

Real will face bitter rivals Atletico in the San Siro in a repeat of the fi nal in Lisbon two years ago when they won their 10th title.

A 20th- minute own- goal by Fernando, who defl ected Gareth Bale’s shot over Joe Hart, was enough to end City’s hopes but, in truth, Real could have won more convincingly had Cristiano Ronaldo been at his sharpest in front of goal.

With Real failing to build on their fi rst- half goal, however, City were always in with a chance and Sergio Aguero’s late shot dipped onto the top of the net as they mounted a desperate late salvo. But it was to no avail, and to compound their crushing disappointment they lost skipper Vincent Kompany to yet another injury that will end his season and cast a huge doubt over his hopes of playing for Belgium in the Euros this summer.

City will need to pick themselves up quickly for Sunday’s battle with Arsenal otherwise they could be in serious danger of not even having Champions League football to offer Pep Guardiola when he takes over from Pellegrini this summer. Atletico’s unexpected triumph over Bayern 24 hours earlier had upped the ante even more for Real . City did not need to chase the game but their assured start was disrupted when the unfortunate Kompany pulled up after only eight minutes .

City sent on Eliaquim Mangala to partner Nicolas Otamendi in the middle of their defence.

Real players gave Kompany sympathetic handshakes as he limped off but they sensed that without their defensive kingpin City were there for the taking. And so it proved.

The dynamic of the game had certainly changed as Ronaldo and Real suddenly came to life after a slow start.

Ronaldo nearly made City pay by getting between the two centre- backs to connect with Dani Carvajal’s cross and was annoyed with himself when his header fl ew high over. But it was an ominous moment for City and, after 20 minutes, sloppy defensive play saw Gareth Bale help put Real ahead.

Carvajal was given far too much space to play a simple pass into the right side of the penalty area where Bale, kept onside by Otamendi, lifted a shot over Hart and in off the far post, with the effort defl ecting off the outstretched leg of Fernando.

It was a hammer blow for City but they still only needed to equalise to go through. Getting close to Real’s goal was proving a problem however.

They made little attacking headway and their frustration was compounded when Kevin De Bruyne was booked for an innocuous foul on Marcelo.

Real then won a free- kick which exposed City’s vulnerability when Sergio Ramos turned the ball into the net from close range but Pepe was ruled off side.

Bale underlined Real’s growing confi dence with a 25- yard shot that