Only able to overcome Manuel Pellegrini’s underperforming side by a single, deflected goal on Wednesday night, they will have to play a lot better to beat their city rivals Atletico Madrid on May 28 and lift the European Cup.
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If nothing else, Bale’s goal guaranteed at least that there will be no added time since a Real Madrid win or a Manchester City draw after full time would ensure a clear victor.
Pellegrini avoided a question about how many players City needed to take the next step and reach a first Champions League final. We are going into the end of season strong. “We created more chances in the first and second half, we were more intense”. But we won’t go to Santiago Bernabeu for another goalless draw.
“Missing David Silva, [Samir] Nasri and Yaya [Toure] coming from an injury, we didn’t have creative players to make a difference”.
The decisive moment came in the 14th minute as a rejuvenated Gareth Bale attacked down the hosts’ right, with his cross deflected by Fernando and looping over a helpless Joe Hart into the visitors’ net.
Manchester City manager says Real Madrid were not better the betetr team.
“We should have gone to penalties because I don’t think Real were better than us”. They toppled Barcelona in the quarterfinals and then stunned Pep Guardiola’s Bayern in the semis.
“Of course I am not happy in the way we created chances”. The Blues are now fourth, four points ahead of Manchester United who have a game in hand, and Pellegrini wants his side to finish the season well. “We played with two of the top three teams in the world”, he said.
True, the visitors suffered an early disruption when captain Vincent Kompany hobbled off after just ten minutes with a thigh strain, but for a team of their class to succumb so timidly was embarrassing.
“I’m happy, not just for myself; it was a team effort”.
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Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane does not believe that there will be a favourite in the Champions League final between his team and Atletico Madrid.
