Champions League: Man City do not have time on their side
February 26, 2020
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City
(Isco 60' - Jesus 78', De Bruyne 83')
At the start of the season, it felt like the UEFA Champions League was the missing title separating Manchester City's record-breaking domestic side from being considered one of the greatest to grace the European stage. Now fears are growing that this season may be their only chance to clinch the most prestigious prize in club football.
In their first European outing since being handed a two-year ban from the Champions League by UEFA for breaches of Financial Fair Play, there was pressure on Manchester City to produce a performance that sent a message. The fact the Citizens struggled to overcome an underwhelming Real Madrid side far removed from the Galacticos era, only further underlines the precarious nature of their current predicament.
The impending ban, which City are appealing, has exacerbated the pressure to deliver Europe's top title. It isn't the sole source though given that expectations have been building since Pep Guardiola took over.
Manchester City produced unprecedented form that delivered back-to-back Premier League titles, but haven't been able to translate that success to the tournament elite clubs are judged by. It's a narrative all too familiar for Pep Guardiola, who suffered the same fate with his record-breaking iteration of Bayern Munich.
After Wednesday's victory in Madrid, Guardiola now has the most Champions League knockout stage wins to his name with 28, but he still hasn't been able to add to the two titles he won with Barcelona. His perfectionism is well documented and, long before UEFA announced sanctions, Guardiola will have demanded more of himself and his players in their quest for European glory.
Those demands weren't met in Madrid, though he remained coy with his response to his side's performance. "When we were better they scored, when they were better we scored, that's football," Guardiola said in his post-match press conference.
If he were able to win the Champions League in light of the decision made by European football's governing body, it would further enhance his reputation as one of the greatest managerial minds. However, the sense of City being in a 'now or never' situation is growing, but as they did in Madrid, they'll be hoping to step up when the pressure is on as the window of opportunity closes.
AS IT HAPPENED!
Full-time verdict: In the first-half neither side wanted to make a mistake that could cost them. Isco's goal on the hour mark changed the complexion of the game and forced Pep Guardiola's hand after he had left both Sterling and Aguero on the bench. Sterling's introduction added a greater threat to City's forward movements, but it was Kevin De Bruyne who again came to the rescue with a goal and an assist to gie his size a vital advantage ahead of the second leg in three week's time.
90' - Sterling has made a real impact since coming on and has arguably bailed Pep Guardiola out form some questionable decisions regarding his starting line-up. The englishman cuts in off the left wing, goes past three, but the final effort is tame.
88' - That's the 26th time Sergio Ramos has been sent off in his professional career.
86' - RED CARD (Ramos)
It's all gone wrong for Real Madrid! Jesus breaks in behind and waits for the slightest contact from Ramos before going to ground. It seems soft, but as the last man he's been sent for an early shower. That could be the end of his Champions League season.
83' - GOAL! Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City (De Bruyne)
De Bruyne steps up and makes no mistake from the spot to add to his earlier assist. A quickfire double completes a comeback with City getting the goals their performance has deserved giving them a real grip on this tie with two away goals.
82' - PENALTY TO MANCHESTER CITY
Raheem Sterling uses his pace to break to the byline, Carvajal goes to ground, whiffs at the ball with his tackle and takes out the Englishman in the process. The referee doesn't bat an eyelid before pointing to the spot.
78' - GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City (Jesus)
A huge moment in this game and a hue away goal as Gabriel Jesus nods home from close range to level the scores after some sublime work by Kevin De Bruyne in the build-up. The flag stays down and the Video Assist doesn't believe the Brazilian pushed Sergio Ramos in his bid to win the ball so the goal stands.
77' - There's just no need for Real to raise the tempo when they're in possession and they're making no bones about their intent on keeping bodies behind the ball.
75' - There are a lot of frustrated faces amongst the City players out on the pitch. Pep Guardiola is nearing sixth forehead crease territory.
73' - Here comes Sterling to hopefully make the desired impact for City. Bernardo Silva is off in his place. Meanwhile, Gareth Bale is getting stripped off and ready to come on for the home side.
71' - A lovely piece of play from Carvajal has City defenders in panic mode only for his cross to be blocked. Real maintain the pressure as Fernandinho is forced to produce a block of Sergio Ramos' goalbound volley.
68' - Cheeky!
66' - Fernandinho's lack of pace is proving an issue as the brazilian is again outpaced by Valverde. The cross into the box is good but well cut out by Ederson.
63' - There's been little sign of a City response to falling behind. Don't forget that Pep has Sterling and Aguero on the bench.
Snapshot from the Santiago Bernabeu
60' GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City
We have a break through and it's gone the way of the hosts, who break incisively from a Manchester City mistake. Vinicius Jr. squares for Isco to slot home after taking a touch in the box. That's his first Champions League goal of the season.
55' - CHANCE!
It's Mahrez again. This time a cheeky reverse pass plays him in behind as he produces a a sharp drive that stings the palms of Courtois.
54' - Vinicius Jr. bursts into the Man City box and goes tumbling the ground under pressure from Walker and Fernandinho. There's not enough contact to warrant a penalty though.
49' - CHANCE!
Oooof - that wasn't far away. City are afforded a chance to run at the Real backline. Mahrez has defenders back pedalling, but can't bend his effort on target.
SECOND HALF!
We're back underway in the Spanish capital. The Sky Germany commentator has said that tonight is "further underlining that the era of the Galacticos" is coming to an end.
Half-time verdict: The lentil daal curry I'm eating right now is packing much more of a punch than the first-half did. Expectations aren't being met by either going forward, but they've both been virtually flawless defensively. City have twice gone close, while Real Madrid's best chance came courtesy of the man marking his century in the competition tonight, Benzema.
45' - CLEARED OFF THE LINE!
On the stroke of half time, City go within a whisker of breaking the deadlock. Courtois flaps at a De Bruyne corner, the loose ball falls to Jesus whose sucffed volley is cleared off the line by Casemiro.
41' - Gabriel Jesus intercepts the ball on the edge of his own box. Does that give you a good diea of how this game is going?
38' - Boos ring around the Santiago Bernabeu as a decision for a throw-in goes against them, but that might be indicative of how they're feeling about the whole first-half performance.
33' - Aymeric Laporte has picked up a knock and can't continue. Fernandinho is on in the Frenchman's place.
Snapshot from the Santiago Bernabeu
30' - HUGE CHANCE!
What a chance for the home side. Benzema shakes his marker in the box to latch onto a cross, drawing an outstanding sparwling save out of Ederson. Vinicius Jr. can't quite latch onto the rebound and City survive the scare.
29' - Benjamin Mendy picks up a booking for a foul on Modric. the City left-back will be banned for the second leg as a result.
28' - City link up intricately on the edge of the area as Jesus feeds De Bruyne, who opens up his body but sees his shot blocked.
25' - Real Madrid just don't have that swagger about them this season. while they're holding their own defensively, there's a distinct lack of pace in their build-up play that's is allowing City to telegraph their movements.
21' - CHANCE
Gabriel Jesus pops up for the first time tonight as he ghosts towards the six-yard box, cutting inside Varane before drawing a stong save out of Courtois. A chance out a nothing. A warning shot for Real.
Snapshot from the Santiago Bernabeu
16' - Varane fires over from the edge of the area. That's the first real shot of the game.
15' - This has been an incredibly cagey affair thus far. Pep Guardiola is wildly gesticulating on the sidelines with Real's pressing making life very difficult for his side.
12' - Vinicius Jr. makes use of his pace down the left to pick out a cross. Benzema gets his head to the ball under pressure and heads wide.
9' - Real Madrid have seized control of possession and are keeping City very quiet as they slowly drag them from left to right. So far chances have been few and far between. A blocked shot from Bernardo Silva is as close as we've come.
6' - Zinedine Zidane has reportedly been spending one-on-one time with Vinicius Jr. in a bid to work on his end product in the final third and chance conversion. The youngster has had some nice early touches on the left wing.
3' - It's been a very measured start from both sides, who have both probed for early weakness. The backlines have been sharp in snuffing out danger thus far.
KICK OFF!
Can Manchester City get the better on Real Madrid on their own turf without Aguero and Sterling?
20 points difference
Both of these sides sit second in their respective domestic leagues. Madrid trail their rivals Barcelona by just two points, City are 22 adrift of Liverpool. They have lost six times this season in the Premier League – two more than they did in the whole of the last, title-winning season.
Century is up for Benezema!
Karim Benzema tonight makes his 100th Champions League appearance for Real Madrid. The Frenchman has scored 52 goals and provided 24 assists in his previous 99. Can he add to it against City?
Kroos praises Pep
Toni Kroos called Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola as a "key figure for German football and for me personally - he opened everyone's eyes to what contol really meant." Sky Sports pundit Raphael Honigstein further enforces the point by suggesting that without the Spaniard, Germany may never have won the World Cup.
Read more: Manchester City and FFP: 'An open invitation to trickery'
"It could give them the extra push"
Talking on Sky Sports Germany's Champions League pre-match show, former Hamburg striker Mladen Petric believes the impending ban for breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations could weigh heavy on the minds of Manchester City's star-studded ensemble:
"The fact that the team know that this could be their last season to win the Champions League could be a factor this season, it could give them the extra push."
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS: Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane has also sprung a surprise with his squad selection, dropping World Cup winner Toni Kroos.
Real Madrid: Courtois - Mendy, Varane, Ramos, Carvajal - Valverde, Casemiro, Modric - Vinicius Jr., Benzema, Isco
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS: Manchester City
Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero both have to settle for a place on the bench. Who saw that coming?
Manchester City: Ederson - Mendy, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker - De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Gündogan - Bernardo, Jesus, Mahrez
Champions League curtain closer
Welcome one and all. In the context of the Valentine's Day UEFA ban imposed on Manchester City, tonight's Round of 16 first leg against the record titleholders Real Madrid carries even greater significance. It should be a belter!