Madrid 1-0 Man City (1-0): Own goal sets up second all Madrid final in three years
For the second time in three years, Madrid is going on tour. In 2014 they were off to Lisbon, now, in 2016, they’re off to Milan. Gareth Bale’s deflected cross deceived Joe Hart early in the first half as a patched-up Real Madrid squeezed past an invisible Manchester City over 180 minutes to set up a second Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in three years.
Atletico, who beat Bayern Munich on away goals in a tie which was one hundred times more enthralling than this one, will be out for revenge. When they met in Lisbon, Sergio Ramos’ stoppage time goal in the second half forced extra time. After that, Madrid ran riot against a ragged and tired Atletico. Diego Simeone is unlikely to have forgotten.
After a goalless draw in Manchester one week ago, Los Blancos were heavy favourites to progress against Manuel Pellegrini’s men. However, few could have predicted just how lacking in quality this would be for a match involving, in theory, two of the continent’s best sides.
The build up had been dominated by Madrid’s fitness problems. Zidane claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo was “100 percent” fit and he started here. At best, though, he was running at 75 percent. Two men who weren’t fit were Karim Benzema and Casemiro, with Jese Rodriguez and Isco taking their places. Yaya Toure started for City with David Silva missing with an injury.
Roared on by a Bernabeu crowd dreaming of an 11th European Cup success, the hosts were already on top by the time City captain Vincent Kompany was forced off injured after just 10 minutes, replaced by Eliaquim Mangala. Moments later Ronaldo headed over a cross from the magnificent Dani Carvajal as the English side began to wobble.
Trouble was brewing, especially down the Madrid right, and that is where the goal arrived from. Bale found space in the area and his cross took a wicked deflection off Fernando. There was little Hart could do as the ball sailed into his top corner. It went down as an own goal, denying Bale his first Champions League goal since 2014.
Madrid maintained the control, although without the same urgency, wary that a City goal would give them the lead on away goals. Sergio Ramos had a goal ruled out for offside, Ronaldo fired over after a neat exchange with Isco and Bale drew a save from Hart as the game struggled to really come to life.
There was almost a sting in the tail at the end of the second half, though. The disappointing Kevin De Bruyne fed Fernandinho, whose rushed effort clipped off the outside of the post and away for a goal kick. Pellegrini’s side would never come closer.
Luka Modric had a guilt-edged chance to finish the game off after the break. Bale’s ball found him all alone in the area, City’s defence nowhere to be seen, but the Croatian midfielder seemed confused. Initially thinking he was offside, perhaps, he eventually managed to scramble a shot away, only for the omnipresent Hart to stand big and keep City in the tie.
The England stopper then saved a Ronaldo header, before the Portuguese international again called him into action with a skidding effort from the corner of the box. Bale then thumped the bar from a corner and as Madrid failed to make their dominance pay, there was a growing feeling that maybe the Premier League side would nick it.
They didn’t even get close to doing so, though, in reality. Sergio Aguero didn’t get a sight of goal until the final 10 minutes, when a speculative strike from distance brushed the top of the net. A De Bruyne free-kick from wide then hit the side netting as City dropped out of Europe without a fight - one thing you can bank on seeing from Atletico and Simeone in Milan.
