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Real Madrid were humbled by Man City when they visited the Etihad in the Champions League decider. Carlo Ancelotti's men failed to live up to the billing as they crashed out of the competition.
Manchester City spectacularly qualified for the Champions League final at the expense of Real Madrid after recording an emphatic 4-0 victory over the defending champions.
The tie was open to both sides after settling for a 1-1 scoreline at the Santiago Bernabeu but there had to be a winner at the Etihad in the reverse fixture.
And no one expected the Citizens to run ragged of the defending champions with an outrageous scoreline.
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06:26 - 18.05.2023
Man City vs Real Madrid: 5 things Guardiola did right to reach Champions League final
Manchester City played the perfect game at the Etihad to send Real Madrid crashing out of the Champions League.
Here are 4 things Real Madrid did wrong in the return leg at the Etihad
1. Real sat back for too long
Real Madrid wanted to play from the back as usual and develop their attack through the wings but it backfired.
City mounted pressure on their opponents forcing them to pass the ball back to Thibaut Courtois who was having more possession than some of his teammates.
2. They made too many mistakes
In a post match interview, Carlo Ancleotti also admitted that his men made a lot of faulty passes which gave City the upper hand as they brewed in confidence.
Veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were nowhere to be found in the game as they ran out of ideas the few times they touched the ball in the first half.
Instead, the likes of IIkay Gundogan, Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva ran the show as they beat Madrid to their passing game.
3. Too much reliance on wing play
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo were expected to be unleashed down the wings to trouble City’s defence but Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker defied the odds.
Karim Benzema was also anonymous as he had few touches on the ball and that also made Madrid look ordinary going forward.
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13:06 - 17.05.2023
UCL Man City vs Real Madrid: 3 key battles as Cityzens look to end Los Blancos reign— Preview
The stakes are higher with the game evenly balanced, but can Pep Guardiola and Manchester City end Real Madrid's Champions League hegemony at the Etihad?
4. Madrid did not take risk
With the way Real were dominated, it was expected that Ancelotti would instruct his team to change tactics after City went ahead through Bernardo Silva.
The only meaningful chances that came in the game from Real were from Toni Kroos and Alaba’s shots from outside of the 18-yard box which was expertly dealt with by Ederson.
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