Chapter 268: 3-2, Real Madrid. See You in Madrid for the Next Round!
The second half of the game was unusual; it felt more like a Spanish El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid than a Champions League semi-final.
Manchester City, with many Spanish internationals, playing a possession-based game wasn't surprising. After Barcelona's rise, many European teams tried to mimic their passing style. However, only Manchester City managed to play like Barcelona. The reason was simple: they had Lin Quan!
Other teams couldn't replicate Barcelona's style without Messi, but Manchester City had Lin Quan, who was almost identical to Messi. With him, Manchester City's possession style was over 50% similar to Barcelona's.
Additionally, having recently played two matches against Barcelona, Manchester City's coaches and players deeply understood the power of the possession game, making it easier for them to emulate Barcelona's tactics.
So, at this moment, Manchester City looked very much like Barcelona.
Seeing their opponent play possession football, Real Madrid became immediately alert. In the league, they had suffered many losses to Barcelona.
With Real Madrid retreating, Manchester City gradually took control using their possession style. Their possession percentage started rising, reaching over 60% for Manchester City while dropping below 40% for Real Madrid.
However, Real Madrid wasn't worried or panicked. Since they had switched to a counter-attack strategy, they naturally gave up possession. For them, the goal was to seize opportunities during Manchester City's attacks, win the ball, and launch successful counter-attacks.
Possession statistics didn't matter to them. If they couldn't win the game, what was the point?
With this in mind, Real Madrid's players patiently organized their defense and pressed Manchester City's ball holders in midfield, looking to exploit their mistakes for counter-attacks.
The midfield battle intensified immediately!
Unlike Barcelona's midfield, Manchester City's midfielders were younger, with the oldest, Yaya Touré, only 31 and in his prime. Players like Kroos and De Bruyne were even younger and should theoretically have the upper hand in midfield battles.
But Real Madrid's Modric, after an initial adjustment period, became increasingly active.
In the 76th minute, Modric made a tackle and delivered a long pass to Bale on the wing. Bale sped down the flank, but his final shot narrowly missed the goal. Otherwise, Real Madrid would have equalized.
This counter-attack scared Manchester City. Pellegrini frowned.
Despite anticipating Modric's threat and assigning Yaya Touré to mark him, the plan didn't seem to work as expected.
Modric, at 29, was in his prime. He was Real Madrid's metronome, with excellent organizing and advancing abilities, abundant stamina, refined skills, and exceptional vision.
Modric possessed all the qualities of a top midfielder. Pellegrini would even rate Modric higher than Ronaldo and Bale in importance.
Despite his short stature of 172 cm, Modric had impressive defensive capabilities, covering a large area with his excellent movement.
Every time Manchester City attacked, Modric appeared in critical areas. Although he was occasionally beaten by Lin Quan, it showcased his defensive awareness. Against anyone else, his defensive intuition would greatly benefit the team.
If Modric only had defensive skills, he wouldn't trouble Pellegrini so much. But he was too well-rounded, excelling in both defense and offense!
Modric was Real Madrid's organizer, crucial in transitions. With him, Real Madrid's attacks became more threatening, especially with his direct passes.
Realizing this, Pellegrini took advantage of a stoppage to instruct Yaya Touré to mark Modric more closely, with De Bruyne assisting.
This adjustment had some effect but also significant consequences. Modric's extensive activity range, attacking deep into Manchester City's box and defending his own, forced Yaya Touré and De Bruyne to expend much energy on defense.
While Yaya Touré managed, De Bruyne, as Manchester City's offensive organizer, couldn't maintain his offensive contribution. This caused Manchester City's attacks to lose their edge in the second half.
Seeing this, Ancelotti breathed a sigh of relief. Even if their counter-attack failed, maintaining the current result was acceptable. Back at Real Madrid's home ground, they'd show their true strength!
But just as Ancelotti thought this, Lin Quan, using his individual skill, broke through two defenders and forcefully shot at goal.
Ancelotti's heart almost stopped when Lin Quan shot. Fortunately, Casillas made a crucial save, preventing Real Madrid from falling two goals behind.
"Damn it, it's already the 85th minute, how does this guy still have so much energy?"
Ancelotti glanced at the clock and cursed under his breath.
Real Madrid's extensive research on Messi led them to believe players like him, due to their frequent dribbling and quick bursts, would tire quickly. Messi often conserved energy by not participating in defense, focusing on attacking.
Applying this to Lin Quan, Real Madrid assumed he'd have stamina issues in the second half, especially near the end of the game.
However, Lin Quan's recent breakthrough, beating two defenders and powering through Ramos for a shot, showed no signs of fatigue.
Ancelotti decided they couldn't falter now and needed to strengthen their defense.
He substituted Isco for a defensive player to bolster their defense. Although Isco was frustrated, he didn't complain and left the field.
Real Madrid's substitution signaled retreat, focusing more on defense than attack. This made Manchester City's offense more difficult, as Lin Quan was closely marked and couldn't find space to initiate attacks.
Five minutes later, Ancelotti made another substitution, replacing Benzema with a defensive midfielder. This further intensified Real Madrid's midfield defense, disrupting Manchester City's offensive rhythm and reducing their threat.
Ultimately, after 90 minutes, Manchester City won 3-2 at home against Real Madrid.
This result was barely acceptable for both teams. For Manchester City, they defended their home ground and won, albeit narrowly.
For Real Madrid, they managed to score an away goal and are only one goal behind.
So, when they return to their home ground, they just need to score once to eliminate Manchester City. For a team as strong in attack as Real Madrid, this should be easy.
Therefore, during the post-match handshake, Ancelotti showed no signs of frustration or disappointment. He shook hands with Pellegrini with a smile and even chatted for a bit.
On the field, though the players from both sides were somewhat dissatisfied, they could accept the result.
At the end of the match, Bale immediately found Lin Quan and asked to swap jerseys. They had agreed on this before the match, so Lin Quan gladly took off his shirt and handed it to Bale.
"See you in Madrid!" Bale said with a smile as he took the jersey and patted Lin Quan on the shoulder.
"Sure, see you in Madrid!" Lin Quan responded with a nod.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still on the field drinking water, saw this and snorted before turning and walking down the players' tunnel.
The Manchester City players didn't leave the field immediately. Led by their captain Kompany, they took a lap around the stadium to thank their fans for their support. The fans were enthusiastic, excited about beating the strong Real Madrid at home.
Although a 3-2 scoreline didn't seem ideal, a win is a win, and against Real Madrid, that's something to celebrate!
In the post-match press conference, Ancelotti said he could accept the result and was confident his team would secure a place in the final at the Bernabéu.
"Yes, I'm confident we will make it to the final. We have a perfect home record this season, and I believe this will continue!"
Ancelotti's confidence came not just from Real Madrid's excellent strength but also from their outstanding home performance this season. They had won all five of their Champions League home games, mostly by large margins.
Although Real Madrid also had a good away record, their home ground was where they were truly terrifying.
After interviewing Ancelotti, reporters turned to Manchester City's manager, Pellegrini, asking for his thoughts on the upcoming game at the Bernabéu.
Pellegrini expressed cautious optimism: "We are currently leading, and after this match, we have a better understanding of Real Madrid's strength. They are very strong, but not invincible. Our goal remains to win the next match at the Bernabéu!"
Before the match, Pellegrini's words might not have been taken seriously. But after watching the entire game, many people gained a new respect for Manchester City's strength.
Beating Real Madrid at home was no small feat, showing Manchester City's strong capabilities.
However, not many were optimistic about Manchester City's chances of winning at the Bernabéu. Playing away is a completely different experience, and winning at home doesn't guarantee success away, especially at the Bernabéu!
After the match, betting companies quickly updated their odds. Despite trailing in the scoreline, Real Madrid had lower odds compared to Manchester City, showing that betting companies favored Real Madrid to reach the final.
Given Manchester City's strong home performance, the odds weren't too far apart: about 3.5 for Real Madrid to 6.5 for Manchester City, favoring Real Madrid but not dismissing Manchester City's chances entirely.
Media outlets promptly reported the match:
Marca: Real Madrid couldn't conquer the Etihad Stadium, but two away goals made Ancelotti satisfied. We are just one goal away from the final!
AS: Real Madrid only need to win two more games to lift their tenth Champions League trophy!
The Guardian: Manchester City defended their home honor by beating the powerful Real Madrid, keeping their hopes of reaching the final alive and surprising those who doubted them!
The Times: For Manchester City, this scoreline isn't ideal. The next game at the Bernabéu will be very challenging, and they need to be at their best.
BBC: With one goal and two assists, Lin Quan's explosive performance put him ahead in this star-studded showdown. After this match, no one should doubt Lin Quan's ability to stand alongside the greatest.
The only question now is, when will he win his first Ballon d'Or?
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