Giving up the pudding combination, Manchester City won the Champions League against Real Madrid full of confidence
In the early morning of April 4, Beijing time, the 31st round of the English Premier League staged a key battle, the defending champion Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 4-1 at home, and the points temporarily tied Liverpool with one more game. Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were both on the bench, but Foden's hat-trick and Rodri's cross gave City a triumphant home game. The return to small and fast tactics paid off and gave City a boost of confidence ahead of the Real Madrid game.
In last weekend's strong conversation, Manchester City drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal, and the two attacking cores of Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland played mediocre. Facing Aston Villa, who lost 1-0 away in the first leg, Pep Guardiola opted to put the pudding pair on the bench, with Alvarez and Jack Grealish rotating their starters. Bench B retreats to partner Rodri in the back.
Just 11 minutes into the game, Doku set up Rodri to score a goal, and the Spanish defender also set a new record for goals in a single season, giving Manchester City a 1-0 lead at home. However, Villa were back in the 20th minute when Duran equalised with a low shot. Foden stepped up at the crucial moment and took a free-kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time to go straight into the net to give City a 2-1 lead to end the first half.
In the second half, City continued to fire on fire, with Foden netting a hat-trick in the 62nd and 70th minutes to give City a 4-1 lead. In the ensuing period, Rodri, B, Foden and Doku went off one after another, and Manchester City kept the score 4-1 until the end.
In this game, Manchester City had 67% possession, scored 4 goals with 11 shots on target from 25 shots, and showed a high scoring efficiency. Although Villa, who lacked a number of main players, also equalized at one time, the difference in strength made them finally have to bow down. What's more worth mentioning is that Manchester City, which has regained its small and fast spirits, has found a good way to solve the dilemma of the offensive line.
Manchester City centre-forward Erling Haaland has been in average form in recent times, while the team has been a bit helpless against the opposition's dense defence. In the last game against Arsenal, Manchester City had only one shot on target from 12 attempts, and Haaland missed all four under the defence of Saliba and Gabriel. Pep Guardiola did his best to defend his lover after the game, but he was physically honest enough to leave the pudding pair on the bench in this game, and Manchester City also played a refreshing attack.
In this game, Doku took advantage of the right winger position, successfully broke through 5 of 8 breakthroughs, successfully broke through 4 key passes, and the pass completion rate was as high as 90%. Left winger Jack Grealish's ability to control and pass and shoot drew a lot of attention from opponents, opening up space for the likes of Foden and Alvarez, with a game-high two interceptions and five fouls. Alvarez, who played as a central striker, had a game-high 3 shots with 7 shots, and although he missed the goal, his wide range of running coverage and pulling made the opposition defence a little helpless. Rodri and Foden's goals, although the little spider was not directly involved, had half of his medals.
The victory in this game is expected to make Real Madrid, who are about to play Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, a little uneasy. In the two-legged clash last season, Real Madrid defended Haaland very well. But compared to the efficient low-post defence, Real Madrid's high pressing is very average. Manchester City's style of infiltrating the front court and holding the ball for a long time is exactly what Real Madrid is most afraid of. Before the big game, Manchester City's regain of the small and fast spirit can actually be seen as a tactical drill against Real Madrid. The 4-1 victory also gave Manchester City full of confidence in beating Real Madrid again.