Manchester City defeated Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League with 5-1 aggregate goals and will face Inter in the final.
A year ago’s shock loss in the Champions League semi-finals to Real Madrid was erased from the minds of Manchester City’s players and coaching at the latest, when City beat the Spanish giant 4-0 at home on Wednesday night and advanced to the UCL final 5-1 on aggregate.
City head coach Pep Guardiola’s according to him, the performance was one of the best in his coaching career. Especially the opening half was really strong from the English team, and Real couldn’t Toni Kroos with the exception of the upper bar shot, goal chances with the first three-pointer.
– After ten minutes of the game, I felt that all the pain we experienced last year was with us today. It was really tough to lose like we did. Then we had to swallow the poison and be nice. However, football and sports always give a new opportunity. I knew it was possible when we drew in Madrid, Guardiola said in the post-match press conference.
A year ago, Real came from two goals behind to join City in the last moments and finally progressed Karim Benzema hitting all the way to the finals and finally to the championship. Guardiola’s coveted Champions League win with Manchester City was still a dream then.
– You shouldn’t give up, but always try again. We are one game away from winning the Premier League. Then we would have won the Premier League three times in a row and been in the Champions League final twice and once in the semi-finals. It’s persistence, Guardiola said.
Manchester City has a chance for the treble, as the team is close to winning the Premier League and also playing in the FA Cup final. The last time an English team managed the treble was Manchester United in 1999.
– We are getting closer to the triple. First you have to win a couple of matches. I’d say when we play our neighbors (Manchester United in the FA Cup final) and the Champions League final against an Italian team, we’ll get it. The season has been really good.
City will face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday and can secure the championship with a win. The FA Cup final will be played on June 3.
Unstoppable going
City are on a 23-match unbeaten streak and have won their last 15 home games. City’s cheerfully played pier Jack Grealish according to me, the victory over Real Madrid was incredible.
– It’s so nice to be in this moment. “I don’t think many teams can do that to Real Madrid, but when we play together and even in our home stadium, we feel unstoppable,” Grealish said.
– You have seen what we have done for Bayern Munich, Leipzig and today for Real, it is incredible.
In the first playoff round, the team beat Leipzig 7–0 on aggregate, then Bayern 4–1 and now Madrid 5–1.
Head coach Guardiola was more moderate than his player.
– Any team can be stopped if they do what they have to. It’s nice that the players feel unstoppable, but football matches can be very different. Gotta stay calm. I would like to give the players a couple of days off, but I can’t because we have to focus on the Premier League. We need to secure the championship soon to give us time to prepare mentally for the two finals, Guardiola referred to the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
The Champions League final will be played in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10. City will face Inter, who defeated their local rivals AC Milan in the semi-finals.