The Manchester City-Real Madrid in which the Whites fell 4-3 continues to be a difficult encounter to analyze. Although the Mancunians took the victory and scored up to four goals, Real Madrid carried out a survival exercise in the midst of the madness that allows them to play everything on the comeback card in the second leg.
In this crazy game at the Etihad was Álvaro Benito, collaborator of AS, Cadena SER and also Movistar. He was on television contributing his point of view and, this Wednesday, appeared in El Larguero to explain as an authorized voice what happened in Manchester. This is how the former Real Madrid saw it.
Benzema: “Let’s not fool ourselves. The fact that the shield is sometimes inexplicable. Madrid, when it seems that they have both feet in the grave, resurfaces. But it’s not just about courage, personality… Then you need players of the highest quality. This is not done by a mid-category team no matter how much guts they have. Real Madrid have that mentality: to cling to games. But then they have Benzema, Modric, Vinicius, Courtois… If they have one, they hook it City’s first is one of the most difficult goals he has scored this year, a very difficult technical gesture. For me he is the best player in the world at the moment; he is in the best shape in recent months.”
A different game if there was more defense: “Surely. City scored 2 goals in the first two arrivals. Real Madrid did not have the concentration they need against this type of team. It is not usual to see in this type of football that the defensive lines are not so fine in their success. Militao played one of the worst games this year, he didn’t measure well. Real Madrid conceded a lot defensively. And City risks and exposes itself a lot. Both of them, with little, made a lot of danger”
Real Madrid escaped alive: “There were moments when he gave that feeling. Mahrez had a very dangerous approach, another with 3-1… It is possible that City has that feeling, but Real Madrid also had one for 2-2. City was superior, He played a great game. An exercise in physical display until the end. Kroos suffered a lot as a defensive midfielder. These are the moments of the tie or the match. City have had their tie moment and let’s hope they don’t have another”
sensationsReal Madrid has to manage to get first in the return leg: that will remind City that they had them on the canvas. Football changes from one week to the next at the emotional level. But you face a great team that is not going to wrinkle and will want to dominate the game. Real Madrid have to plan a much more aggressive and forceful game. They have to be more concentrated and I think Ancelotti will make a great reading of the game. You’re one game away from getting into a final and at the beginning of the season we didn’t count on this I see Madrid capable of knocking down City but they have to play a better game than they did at the Etihad, especially defensively. The attacking game didn’t bother me”
Match against Espanyol: “I understand that Ancelotti puts in 11 substitutes. I wouldn’t even put Courtois in. You’re one game away from getting into another final and it’s very difficult to get to this stage of the competition”.