Real Madrid have been outclassed by Manchester City in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The credits should be given to the manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola. Manchester City will now have 2 away goals in their bag. On the other hand, Real Madrid have a huge task in their hands to make a comeback at Etihad Stadium in the second leg. Here are the talking points of the match :
1. Jesus Ahead Of Aguero:
The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has chosen Gabriel Jesus ahead of Sergio Aguero in the first leg against Real Madrid. The plan has completely worked out for Pep Guardiola. Pep Guardiola has tried to use the workload of Gabriel Jesus throughout the whole match. Manchester City have deployed Gabriel Jesus ahead of Mendy.
Pep Guardiola has assumed that the defensive abilities of Mendy might not be enough for Manchester City to prevent the attacking threats of Carvajal from the right-hand side of the pitch. At the beginning of the match, it has been seeming that Kevin De Bruyne is playing as the lone centre forward of Manchester City.
Gabriel Jesus has missed an easy chance in the first half of the match. A great ball has been provided by Kevin De Bruyne in the penalty box. However, the shot of Gabriel Jesus has been really weak. It has gone straight to the hand of the Goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. However, in the second half, Gabriel Jesus has scored the equaliser for Manchester City. The header has been placed perfectly into the Goal by the young Brazilian centre forward.
2. Kevin De Bruyne – A Class Apart:
The midfield maestro of Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne has played a huge role to secure the win. Kevin De Bruyne has created so many chances throughout the whole match. He has provided the chipped cross with a turn and that has resulted into a goal. The Belgian central midfielder has also converted successfully from the spot. The Belgian has certainly led his side from the front in this match.
3. Substitutions Change It All:
The manager of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane has subbed off Federico Valverde and Isco in the second half of the match. Both of them have been playing really well. Isco has scored the opening goal of the match for Real Madrid. The substitutions are certainly not justified for the Los Blancos. On the other hand, Pep Guardiola has brought in Raheem Sterling as the substitute. The pace of Raheem Sterling from the channel has earned the penalty for Manchester City. So, the substitutions have certainly made the difference.
4. Is The Tie Over Now?
The tie is certainly not over yet. However, Manchester City are currently holding an edge over Real Madrid. Real Madrid will miss Sergio Ramos in the second leg because of the red card. Zinedine Zidane needs to sort out his attacking options in the next leg as Real Madrid will need to score at least 2 goals away from home to stay in this competition.
