Ronaldo returned from a hamstring injury and helped Madrid reach a 14th European Cup final, after Gareth Bale’s 20th-minute delivery took a looping deflection off Fernando, giving the 10-time champions a 1-0 aggregate triumph after last week’s stalemate. “It’s a good run all the same”, he told the Manchester Evening News. I think that we were the better team and we deserve to be in the final.
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“Obviously we needed a bit of luck with the goal, but I felt like we controlled both games”.
“We created more chances and were more intense”.
The night saw no redemption for Manuel Pelligrini who was sacked by Real Madrid back in 2010, as an own goal by Fernando was enough to see Zinedine Zidane’s men through to the final. “It’s going to be a hard game, but we’re confident we can win”.
Pellegrini will leave City in the summer to make way for Pep Guardiola and his decision to rest key players for last weekend’s heavy defeat at Southampton prompted claims that he is not interested in finishing in the top four.
Although he succeeded where Mancini failed in guiding the team beyond the Champions League’s group stages in each of his three seasons, the Chilean has ultimately fallen short of the club’s lofty aspirations in Europe.
“We always had the feeling that we could have done more, but we’ve never had a season that was a disaster. They are there because they are a good team”, said Bale. “Of course I have feelings but don’t want to show them in an external way”. “I admire him as a coach and a person, I hope he continues coaching us”.
City could be without captain Vincent Kompany for those final two games against Arsenal and Swansea after he suffered a groin injury early on at the Bernabeu. We kept it tight and limited their chances and ultimately got the goal.
“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to manage these players”.
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The 25-year-old defender added: “I came on in a match that was very committed and important”.
