A 7-3 win that should have been a 7-3 win turned out to be a fearsome 4-3, and although City won the first leg of the semi-final at the Etihad, the second leg was destined to be a bad game at the Bernabeu.
Fortunately, UEFA has abolished the away scoring rules this season, otherwise City would have gone to the Bernabeu with a 4-3 score.
Looking back at the goalscoring battle at the Etihad, the two coaches Guardiola and Ancelotti let the fans see the "ceiling" of the tactical master.
Guardiola in the two main full-backs can not play, still in the platoon and tactical choices to achieve a comprehensive suppression of Ancelotti, but unfortunately Mahrez incarnated as Sterling, many times wasted excellent scoring opportunities, Manchester City lost the opportunity to completely break Real Madrid.
Ancelotti was in full control, following the weakest right-sided onslaught in Guardiola's tactics, Vinicius and Mendy teamed up to blow up cameo right-back Stones, forcing Guardiola to make an early substitution adjustment, coupled with the already extraordinary Benzema, Real Madrid saved the hope of overturning at the Bernabeu.
If I had to comment on the first leg of the two teams in one sentence, it would be: Manchester City's ability to waste opportunities is too strong, and Real Madrid's ability to seize opportunities is too strong.
Does that mean City are out of the way at the Bernabeu in the second leg? Definitely not!
First: Manchester City is the winner of the first leg after all, although the 4-3 score can not bring Manchester City a ticket to the Champions League final, but Manchester City is the leading side in the overall score. The cancellation of the away scoring rules has also given Manchester City more room for fault, as long as Manchester City plays steadily, the chances of promotion are undoubtedly greater.
Second: Cancelo, who was suspended for accumulating yellow cards in the first leg, will return from suspension, and the Portuguese full-back, who has been dubbed by fans as "the strongest right-back and the strongest left-back", will greatly improve the defensive ability of Manchester City's flanks, and Vinicius will not be as easy as in the first leg. Walker is also injured and has appeared in the squad, and if he can also start, City can return to their strongest defence in this crucial battle.
Third: According to the current situation, Real Madrid will definitely focus on attacking at the Bernabeu, which is bound to create more opportunities for Manchester City to counterattack, as long as Manchester City's frontless attack group does not pull the crotch like in the Etihad, scoring goals will be expected.
The above three points are Manchester City's advantages, as long as Guardiola makes good use of it, without sudden surprise, Manchester City's chances of qualifying will be much higher than that of Real Madrid.
On the other hand, Real Madrid, although the team is full of confidence in returning to the Bernabeu to overturn, objectively speaking, this is still not small. In the quarter-finals and quarter-finals, real Madrid passed the thrill by relying on Benzema's bravery, and Benzema's stealing of Donnarumma and Mendy's goals was the key to Real Madrid's reversal of promotion.
At present, Real Madrid have won the La Liga title this season in advance and have also carried out a championship parade, which will affect the state of the team, it is still unknown. But what is certain is that playing the second leg of the showdown with such optimism is not necessarily a good thing.
Coupled with the doubts about Arabba's appearance, it is also a question whether the backline led by Militang can withstand the attack of the opponent's frontless front. The only good news, presumably, is that Casemiro is able to play, which should limit the role of De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
In short, it is still optimistic about Manchester City's promotion, and if Real Madrid wants to create a miracle again, it must rely on Benzema!