Real Madrid set-up yet another all-Madrid final in the Champions League after ousting Manchester City 1-0 at the Bernabeu. Gareth Bale’s strike in the 19th minute took a looping deflection off Fernando to hit the bar and crash into the net, well beyond the reach of Joe Hart.
Los Blancos, bolstered by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, dominated the game for large spells and kept the visitors at bay. Having taken the lead in the first half, the hosts made numerous attempts to double the advantage and put the game beyond doubt but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
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Despite knowing that even a 1-1 draw would put them through, City made little to no attempts in search of the all-important equaliser and appeared quite languid on the night.
The 10-time European champions held on to the slender lead and booked their place in the San Siro showpiece on May 28 for a repeat of the 2014 final. Here are five things we learnt from the Bernabeu.
#1 Real Madrid finish a turbulent season on a high
It has been a season full of crests and troughs for Real Madrid. From the pandemonium under Rafael Benitez to re-capturing their best under Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos had seen the highs and lows in equal measure.
Up until March, Real appeared out of sorts despite glimpses of promise during the initial few days of Zidane's tenure. La Liga was still a distant memory, whereas their Champions League hopes were also in tatters after the 2-0 loss to Wolfsburg.
But fast forward your calendar by a little over a month, and they are on course for a double now. Trailing Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by just a point in the league, they are now into the finals of the Champions League as well, aiming for an unprecedented 11th title.
Irrespective of what happens in the next 3 weeks on both fronts, Real Madrid have improved considerably over recent weeks and are finishing a serpentine season on a high.
#2 Manchester City lost, but did not fail
Having made it to the last four of the competition for the very first time in their history, Manchester City had surpassed all the expectations. Despite a stuttering league campaign, the Skyblues were relatively better in Europe and had shown great character to reach this stage.
Always an underdog in Europe’s premier club competition, City have certainly shed that tag now. The English side has broken through the glass ceiling by reaching this far and has showed signs of things to come in the future.
Manchester City may have lost on the night, but their campaign was by no means a failure.
3.Ronaldo yet to return to full fitness
The return of Cristiano Ronaldo to the line-up had certainly given hosts the psychological boost, but it appears the Portuguese talisman hasn’t quite returned to fitness. The 31-year old was well below his best and lacked the usual flair that he normally brings going forward.
Starting on his usual right flank, Ronaldo wasn’t quite effective down that wing and was seen running more centrally after Jese Rodriguez was subbed off. Yet, the change in position did not make much of an impact. Although there were a few good chances that came his way, the ex-Manchester United man wasn’t able to kill them off.
Ronaldo wasn’t bad but wasn’t too good either. His performance was a reflection that he’s yet to regain 100% fitness.
#4 Injury rears it’s ugly head over Kompany, again!
Vincent Kompany and injuries. It’s a tale that never seems to end. The Belgian skipper has been plagued by many injuries in the past, and this season was no different. Having already spent 135 days on the sidelines this season, Kompany limped off the field within 10 minutes with another muscle strain.
No contacts, no tackles, but only an outstretched leg during the game was enough to cost him his semi-final match. The centre-back was eventually taken off to be replaced by Eliaquim Mangala, but was left with a bitter taste in the mouth.
5.Atletico Madrid will relish the chance of a revenge
An all-Madrid final means Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will meet in the championship deciding game for the second time in the space of three years. But the latter won’t have fond memories of the earlier meeting.
Just seconds away from their maiden European glory, Los Rojiblancos succumbed to an equaliser from Sergio Ramos in the dying embers of the match and never recovered from it as they went on to lose 4-1 to their more illustrious rivals.
Now, fate has presented them with a chance at redemption, and Diego Simeone’s troops would not want to miss out. The Lisbon heart-break is still vivid in their memory, and only a revenge will heal the pain.
Real Madrid have been warned.
