***City vs Real official match thread***

[salford city]

Just back. Not much to add except to stick on repeat about a striker. The positives are we will have 2 fully functioning full backs and go into the game ahead. Poor that we had to rely on Fern but stick at least three of the chances away and we were out of sight. Chelsea as mentioned won there and we are much better than them. Was pissed off a little at the end but we had to go to Madrid with a lead and we have one. We put 4 past their first choice back four we will do it all again nexr Wednesday. My worry is what Pep now does at Leeds - dread to think

[zuricity]

No penalty btw - ball came off Laporte's head onto his arm but with krauts on the VAR it is given

Actually the Referee blew for a penalty. Shit happens but Laporte always runs around with his hands in the air, in an effeminate way.

[City64]

Only just got in .
Incredible game.
It should have been fucking 10 .
We will absolutely batter them in Madrid with Walker and Cancelo back .
Ederson has gone to shit huge worry .
Zinchenko fucking epic tonight our very own Ukrainian hero .

[Original Dub]

Wow.

What a game. Should have been 3 nil up at least at half time, but I'm old enough to know European semis and finals are on a knife edge - away goal rule or not.

Fuck you pep you horrible bald cunt !

[john@staustell]

No penalty btw - ball came off Laporte's head onto his arm but with krauts on the VAR it is given

Actually the Referee blew for a penalty. Shit happens but Laporte always runs around with his hands in the air, in an effeminate way.

Never heard that rule Johnny. What if you head the ball onto your hand on the goal line, preventing a goal?

[s1ty m]

Any touch of the hand is given, I heard last week. Bizarre rule.

[Mase]

Yeah, it was a penalty unfortunately. Stupid from the player.

[aaron bond]

We'll have Cancelo back next week. Hopefully Walker too, but if not then Cancelo can play right back with Zinchenko continuing at left back.

Laporte is usually a disaster in the CL for us. But if Stones is injured, then Pep will likely continue with Laporte over Ake to partner Dias next week.

[PeterParker]

I think the key is to score first in Madrid. We’ve let the alive, once again and that’s our biggest problem, not being able to be ruthless in big games.

But we really do have a finishing problem. Those misses are school yard material, maybe the players do not practice those? We score a lot, but we miss almost as much.

Leeds next, play our best team.

[stevefromdonny]

two of their goals was by our balls up, Mahrez went to get a ball and decided not to go in because he could get hurt and pulled out of a 50/50 ball, 2nd balls up wasn't just the handball, but Foden on the wing tried to be too to cleaver and flicked the ball around of a Madrid player instead of kicking it down the wing, then when he went around said Madrid player there was another Madrid player who got the ball and Foden fouled him resulting of freekick and the handball.
and wtf was Mahrez doing shooting instead of passing not once but twice when other players was in a better place, some1 needs to tell him its a team game and not about hin

[Hazy2]

Great game if Benzema was in a blue shirt. A great game. Poor Ferna looked class on the ball, not so when isolated. Reminded me of Foden v Milner. I was shocked that Ferna did not do a Ferna on the Half way line.

[Mase]

Great game if Benzema was in a blue shirt. A great game. Poor Ferna looked class on the ball, not so when isolated. Reminded me of Foden v Milner. I was shocked that Ferna did not do a Ferna on the Half way line.

Spot on Hazy. If we had a killer in the box we’d be long gone in the first half.

Like you say, on the ball Fern was class. Just old age has caught up with him off it.

[Outcast]

I think the key is to score first in Madrid. We’ve let the alive, once again and that’s our biggest problem, not being able to be ruthless in big games.

But we really do have a finishing problem. Those misses are school yard material, maybe the players do not practice those? We score a lot, but we miss almost as much.

Leeds next, play our best team.

We still scored 4 despite our abysmal finishing! The defending let us down more than anything. I'll say it again, our system heavily relies on fullbacks, when your two best fullbacks are absent, we were on the back foot from the start, despite that, we destroyed them going forward. I don't think they would have scored 3 had our fullbacks been available. We'll beat them away.

P.s just imagine the vermins without their fullbacks, how good do you think they'd be without them?

P.s maybe we could have done more defensively, maybe we should have shut up shop. Then again, that might have backfired.

[Hazy2]

Great game if Benzema was in a blue shirt. A great game. Poor Ferna looked class on the ball, not so when isolated. Reminded me of Foden v Milner. I was shocked that Ferna did not do a Ferna on the Half way line.

Spot on Hazy. If we had a killer in the box we’d be long gone in the first half.

Like you say, on the ball Fern was class. Just old age has caught up with him off it.

Mad night Mase.

[Mase]

Also, still no mention of their second goal and how it came from a throw that should have gone to us. Pep went mad about it to the 4th official when they scored, pointing to where the throw was and saying it was ours.

[City64]

Woke up early this morning still got an adrenaline rush from the game and the atmosphere inside the Etihad. We should have been out of site but still take the win . Say it again we fucking destroy them with Walker and Cancelo playing . Testament to Real Madrid and their manager Ancelotti they play great open football and play to their strengths in the outstanding Benzema and Vinicus jnr . Ageing midfield with a lack of legs second half but they pass about it beautifully, defence is worse than the rags , can’t cope with the city press and wide open and easy to get in behind . Not a dirty team a total contrast to their Madrid rivals Atletico , possibly the best UCL game I have ever watched last night totally absorbing and so open incredible elite football .

[PeterParker]

I think the key is to score first in Madrid. We’ve let the alive, once again and that’s our biggest problem, not being able to be ruthless in big games.

But we really do have a finishing problem. Those misses are school yard material, maybe the players do not practice those? We score a lot, but we miss almost as much.

Leeds next, play our best team.

We still scored 4 despite our abysmal finishing! The defending let us down more than anything. I'll say it again, our system heavily relies on fullbacks, when your two best fullbacks are absent, we were on the back foot from the start, despite that, we destroyed them going forward. I don't think they would have scored 3 had our fullbacks been available. We'll beat them away.

P.s just imagine the vermins without their fullbacks, how good do you think they'd be without them?

P.s maybe we could have done more defensively, maybe we should have shut up shop. Then again, that might have backfired.

It's curious, to be honest.
Imho, except Kevin, all our attacking players have terrible finishing skills: Gundo, Bernie, Sterling, Mahrez, Foden, Jesus. How many times did we see them miss an open net? I've lost count.
Can't remember if Bayern and Barcelona had the same problems under Pep, but we certainly did under Pellers.

But I don't think you can train this at this level? You either have it or you don't.

[Tokyo Blue]

We can probably score four at their place as well, so they’d need six to knock us out.

[Indianablue]

Sterling is the most wasteful, Mahrez sometimes takes the wrong option, Jesus perhaps may be confidence but they can all finish bernado doesn't stick the 4th goal in with 2 left feet. Of all of them Sterling is the least natural finisher

[PeterParker]

Sterling is the most wasteful, Mahrez sometimes takes the wrong option, Jesus perhaps may be confidence but they can all finish bernado doesn't stick the 4th goal in with 2 left feet. Of all of them Sterling is the least natural finisher

I would trust only one player at 1vs1.
Kevin.

The rest will most likely miss.