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Based on Tuesday’s evidence, scoring at least once at Santiago Bernabeu is not beyond Real Madrid. They countered an onslaught from Manchester City impressively to emerge just one goal down after a breathless 4-3 first leg. The issue for Carlo Ancelotti’s men is going to be keeping Pep Guardiola’s insatiable side at bay, as simply praying to catch the Citizens on an off day no kind of a plan to win a Champions League semifinal.
City go to Madrid a goal to the good in the UEFA Champions League semifinals after a wild opener at Etihad Stadium and it could easily have been over before it even started. Kevin De Bruyne struck first as the hosts wasted little time getting going before Gabriel Jesus doubled that lead with barely 11 minutes on the clock. Real looked a shambles at that point.
Karim Benzema got the visitors back in it just after the half hour, but Phil Foden restored City’s two-goal lead early in the second half only to be swiftly pegged back a goal by Vinicius Junior’s superb jet-heeled solo effort. Bernardo Silva spectacularly re-established the two-goal cushion entering the final quarter of an hour and then Benzema cut the deficit again from the penalty spot with a sublime panenka.
After so much scoring in the first leg, key to those return hopes for Real will be Casemiro who was unable to even make a substitute appearance having recovered from injury sufficiently enough to at least make the bench. The Brazil international remains a key piece for Los Blancos, and at least two of City’s goals could have been avoided with his vigilance.
Casemiro, now 30, is at least two years younger than regular midfield partners Toni Kroos and Luka Modric so not yet in his twilight years like many of his other teammates, or at the very least not as far into them. The balance that he brings to Real’s midfield is inimitable and his presence would certainly have helped to avoid the quickfire…
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Source : cbssports
