Manchester City booked their place in the semi-final of the Champions League with a deserved 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in their quarter-final second-leg clash.
Kevin De Bruyne grabbed the all-important goal in the 76th minute with a tremendous right-foot effort past PSG custodian Kevin Trapp to secure a 3-2 aggregate win, and it now looks as though the Citizens can paper over some of the cracks of their overall season by pushing into the final of Europe’s most exciting competition.
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Laurent Blanc’s side were disappointing on the night and will have to content themselves with having another go next year, but City will certainly be ecstatic with how the action panned out – just how did they find a way to reach the last four for the first time in the club’s history? Let’s take a look.
City defended with intelligence and heart
There was an air of dangerous belief permeating from the rafters at the Etihad stadium as City went in search of completing something they had never managed to do before. When the final whistle ultimately sounded around the ground, the Sky Blues were able to celebrate a historic victory against one of the continent’s most illustrious outfits.
An important ingredient in their recipe for success were the incessant workers, Fernando and Fernandinho. Slotting in front of the rearguard, it was their job to shut down any fluidity that Les Parisiens attempted to create, and they did it with impeccable perfection for the majority of the encounter. In a very cagey environment, the bustling pair did well to keep their calm whilst performing their duties, and their influence really had a phenomenal impact on their opponents.
With regularity, they appeared to put pressure on Adrien Rabiot, Angel Di Maria and the rest. Not simply an annoying, ever-present shadow lurking to cause frustration and break up the play, they got physical and up-close. Indeed, it was that hounding play which put the visitors on edge.
A great example of how effective they were arrived as early as the 22nd minute when Fernando arrested Rabiot with a clean tackle in the middle of a surging run down the left flank before coolly playing the ball out to Fernandinho. A few slick passes later and the Premier League outfit had fashioned a chance through Sergio Aguero down the other end of the pitch.
It wasn’t simply down to these guys to implement a defensive strength as Jesus Navas was also influential on the night. Displaying great hunger to track back, he did a top job at filtering back to cover the right back position. For much of the match, whenever PSG flooded forward, the Spanish international got back to add extra cover so that the Manchester club were playing with five at the back – and it was super effective.
PSG lacked invention
A few weeks ago, the loyal PSG supporters would have felt they stood a good chance of going all the way to the final, but now their dreams lie in tatters and will have to wait until next season before they can be repaired.
As discussed, their opponents came into the clash with a clever game plan, assembled by the tactically astute Manuel Pellegrini but PSG simply didn’t create the sufficient danger to really test them.
This was a massive contest for both teams, but it was undoubtedly frustrating for the travelling contingent to see such an underwhelming offensive display.
In particular, their big name players floundered in the big game and should feel disappointed at their lack of invention when it was needed most. Blanc’s men seemed happy to knock the ball around as they dominated possession.
Their famously confident Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic was equally culpable of being void of imagination or drive, as summed up by this tweet by Squawka’s Greg Evans:
Of course, their lack of cut-throat play was partly a by-product of a lack of service from the midfield but with so many talented individuals on the pitch, it was really astonishing not to see them try and conjure something brave more often than they did.
Joe Hart was in inspired form and did well to beat away a few hard-hitting, long-range free kicks, but he really should have been tested more intensely.
In the end, the match simply passed them by and it was quite a poor performance from a team who looked far from the quality of champions.
Superior attack aided Pellegrini’s men
When Aguero passed his penalty wide of the target on the stroke of the half-hour mark, there were worries that this might not turn out to be his side’s night. It was a golden opportunity to really punish the Ligue 1 club but the Argentina international made an uncharacteristic error with his shot.
However, they didn’t allow that to cloud their confidence as they continued to cause problems.
In fact, Aguero was central to their forages forward and, in many ways, he was key to their spirit and determination to keep looking for that killer goal. Pursuing loose balls, harassing Thiago Silva and Marquinhos at the heart of PSG’s defence as well as providing a dynamic focal point up top, the 27-year-old was in supreme form despite not scoring.
The English side were more accomplished moving forward. Where the French league leaders monopolised possession and made a few half chances, City actually looked dangerous and were able to use their time in PSG’s half with much more flair, composed authority and intelligence.
De Bruyne’s strike proved the difference, and it shouldn't have been surprising, considering how ruthless he has been for them when fit.
The margins were slim on the score-line but when everything is broken down, it’s clear that City were the far better side. They were more clinical, they played exciting football and they organised their defence brilliantly. It was a superb display from a team many had written off when the draw was initially made.
Now, there will be whispers of just how far they can go. Will we see them grace the final in Milan on May 28?
