Inspired De Bruyne stuns Real to turn tie on its head
What a time for Manchester City to claim their greatest Champions League victory. Faced with a two-year Uefa banishment, a goal down having gifted Real Madrid the lead and with Pep Guardiola set for hard questions as to whether he had again overthought his team selection and tactics, they reversed the contest and their prospects of winning this last-16 tie in five glorious minutes.
Maybe it is win or bust for City and Guardiola this season – if that European ban is upheld – and that is concentrating minds. This was a tie they had anticipated with some trepidation, with the delivery of the team sheet also causing a stir, as it surprisingly showed Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho had been omitted. So often Guardiola has tinkered in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Would it cost him again?
Fernandinho came on early to replace Aymeric Laporte, who departed in tears in the first half after suffering yet another injury, while Sterling was introduced once Real had taken an undeserved lead. He made a difference, earning the winning penalty. Aguero remained benched.
After Real scored, their fans sang of being “Kings of Europe”, but that crown was askew at the end, with the result reversed and Sergio Ramos sent off for the fourth time in the Champions League.
It means the Real captain will be suspended for the second leg at the Etihad, which will add to the scale of the task facing Zinedine Zidane’s side. In fact, this loss was the first time Zidane had been defeated in 13 games in the knockout stages, including three finals.
If it was a loss for Zidane, then it was a big win for Guardiola, a coach he greatly admires, but who is so detested in Madrid. And if there is a thin line between genius and madness, then Guardiola negotiated that brilliantly with his tactics and approach. Rarely has he been so animated on the touchline, and it showed how intensely he wanted this victory, as he led only the third English side – after Arsenal and Liverpool – to beat Real at the Bernabeu and, at the same time, fuelled his Catalan legend.
The standout performers for City were Kevin De Bruyne, who was captain, and Gabriel Jesus. Both scored, with De Bruyne also claiming a superb assist, but it was the tactical smarts they showed as they were asked to play different roles by Guardiola that was so outstanding.
Later, there was defiance from Real. Midfielder Casemiro claimed that if there is one team who can turn this around then it is them, although surely Zidane has to recall Toni Kroos, who strangely did not start. But they are not the force of recent times and City will be firm favourites, after Guardiola felt the satisfaction of leading them to their first win over Real, who are regarded as the establishment, as Champions League – and Uefa – royalty. He has not hidden his antipathy.
Guardiola has done it before, of course, but this felt special given the circumstances, the pressure, the sense that the walls have been closing in on City and on the manager this season, especially after the shock of Uefa’s ban.
“In four years with Pep, he sometimes surprises,” De Bruyne said, and Guardiola certainly did that. Jesus wore the No 9 shirt, but played wide left, often in midfield, with Riyad Mahrez out on the right, as the manager demanded they “make the pitch wide”. There was no centre-forward.
De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, in turns, were often the furthest player forward as City tried to break quickly and hit their opponents hard.
After a quarter of the game, City claimed just 30 per cent of possession, unheard of for a Guardiola team, and although it climbed to 50 per cent by the end, their approach worked. They were fortunate when Vinicius Junior stumbled after he appeared set to turn home the rebound after Ederson had parried Karim Benzema’s header, but they created more chances than Real.
Jesus had a shot blocked by Thibaut Courtois as the goalkeeper went on to deny Mahrez on two occasions, with the winger also curling the ball narrowly wide. Courtois also flapped at a corner, before Jesus’s shot was almost deflected into his own goal by Ramos, before Casemiro cleared.
By now, into the second half, City were in control, and it was against the run of play that Real scored. Rodri played a poor pass to Nicolas Otamendi and Luka Modric intervened. It looked like Kyle Walker would sweep up, but he also lost
control, as Vinicius squared for Isco to beat Ederson.
It was a bad goal to concede, not least given the stakes and how disciplined City had been, and after Modric’s volley was deflected over Guardiola turned to Sterling. It made an immediate difference, although the key contribution came from the outstanding De Bruyne, who collected Sterling’s pass, burst into the area, turned and crossed for Jesus to direct a header downwards, which caught out Courtois and drew City level.
Real cried foul, arguing Jesus had slyly pushed Ramos, but the goal stood.
City were not done. This time Sterling broke forward at pace and Dani Carvajal slid in recklessly, catching the forward. The penalty was given.
City have missed their past four penalties in the Premier League, but Guardiola revealed that De Bruyne had been practising hard, and so he took the duties.
That practice showed as he rolled the ball nervelessly into the net for his 50th City goal, to complete the comeback and give his side their biggest night in the Champions League – so far at least. After all, given the circumstances, winning the tournament might just be fated.