City were never in this, not really. Real Madrid’s reputation — built on those ten European Cups — did for them before they even got out on to the pitch.Their 5,000 travelling fans, who sang throughout from their seats in the gods, left a bigger impression than the players.The players were timid, tactically inept and lacking the dedication required to make a dent in Real’s obsession with this trophy.Those reputations of Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest got the better of them in this giant goldfish bowl of a stadium. And that is the bit that hurts the most.Steven Gerrard always told Liverpool’s players to make sure they left it all out on the pitch in the Champions League.Can City say that? They cannot. They are out, left with the fight for fourth in Manuel Pellegrini’s final two games in charge of this magnificent club.They were beaten by a deflection, but they lost what hope they had when their captain Vincent Kompany signalled that he was coming off after just ten minutes.
City’s heart and spirit disappeared down the tunnel with him.Let’s face it, with Eliaquim Mangala waiting on the sidelines to replace him in a game of this magnitude, your eyes would light up.
Real Madrid were a different proposition in this second leg.This was classy and controlled, with the unflappable Toni Kroos pulling the strings from his station in the centre of midfield.
Where were Fernandinho and Fernando on a night when they had to stop the German pass master getting on the ball? Nowhere.
Kroos was one of the instigators of the move that led to Real’s winner, as he fed the ball to Tottenham old boy Luka Modric.It was easy, too easy when Modric found Dani Carvajal speeding into position out on the right.Gareth Bale timed his run and even if his shot did take a deflection off Fernando to balloon over keeper Joe Hart, it felt like City had been sliced apart anyway.It was foot-on-the-ball time for the visitors but there was no one left with any composure to take the sting out of the game.
You have to wonder what boss Pellegrini was thinking when he decided to play Yaya Toure in the centre of midfield.Quite how he managed to stay on for 61 minutes is beyond belief. Toure stunk the place out.In days gone by, this guy ran games, dictating passages of play with his driving runs and long, raking balls out to his wing men.
He will be given a wide berth by incoming City coach Pep Guardiola because he can do without an attitude like this next season.Kevin De Bruyne, wasted out on the left because of the injury to David Silva, occasionally sparkled.His pass into Fernandinho after 44 minutes led to City’s first serious attempt on goal, a drive inside the area from the Brazilian that hit the base of Keylor Navas’ post.
An away goal then would have put City in the driving seat but they rarely looked capable of getting out of first gear.
This is a very good group of City players yet they do not have the experience to ride out games at the very highest level.
A Champions League semi-final is one of them, a chance to write their names into the history of club football’s grandest competition.
At times they gave a very good impression of a team who were happy just to make it this far.
The challenge for Guardiola, outwitted in the other semi-final by Atletico Madrid, is to take them to the next level.
He can put on as many rondo sessions as he likes but the return on investment will be judged by City’s trophy cabinet at the end of his three-year contract.
That can be assessed later. For now, they will have to pick the bones out of this second leg.
They could not get Sergio Aguero on the ball inside the area, the one man capable of giving City a chance to get back into the game.
Instead, Real went in search of a second, with Bale supplying the pass for Modric. Hart saved well.
Ronaldo was next in the queue, working the angle between Nicolas Otamendi and Mangala only for his shot to be saved well again by Hart.
Bale was next, hitting the upright after 65 minutes as Real pushed City’s defence to the very limit.Ronaldo was next in the queue, working the angle between Nicolas Otamendi and Mangala only for his shot to be saved well again by Hart.
Bale was next, hitting the upright after 65 minutes as Real pushed City’s defence to the very limit.Pellegrini played his last card, sending on livewire Kelechi Iheanacho with 20 minutes left. His first touch set Raheem Sterling free down th
That, incredibly, was City’s last chance. After that, Real locked up and threw away the key.
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