Football Features

    “He’s humiliated Guardiola” – Player ratings as Real Madrid beat Manchester City with another classic comeback

    By Muhammad Butt

    Published: 23:15, 4 May 2022

    Real Madrid left it absurdly late to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra-time to make the Champions League final.

    In a topsy-turvy game, City dominated the whole game and Madrid didn’t have a shot on target before second-half stoppage time. Yet, still they now find themselves on a collision course with Liverpool in the Champions League final.

    Liverpool vs Real Madrid: How the Champions League outright odds look…

    • To win the 2021/22 Champions League: Liverpool 1/2 | Real Madrid 6/4

    Follow this link for more William Hill football betting markets. Odds correct at time of publication. You must be over 18 to gamble. For more information, visit Be Gamble Aware.

    Here’s how the players rated at Santiago Bernabeu.

    Real Madrid

    Thibaut Courtois – 9 – Massive save to deny Bernardo in the first half and continued to deny Manchester City all night long. Prevented a massacre and was the reason Real Madrid were able to enact their late-game heroics. Then in extra-time he again stretched himself out to hold City at bay and preserve Madrid’s win. The greatest goalkeeper in the world, bar none.

    Dani Carvajal – 8 – Made a couple of delicious crosses including the massive one right at the death for Rodrygo’s second goal. Booked for a bad tackle on De Bruyne earlier. Handled the electricity of Foden as well as could be expected but got absolutely mauled by Jack Grealish. Still, was such a potent outlet on the right in attack as Madrid chased late game heroics. A true mentality monster, he will be relishing a match against Jurgen Klopp.

    Eder Militao – 6 – Error-prone as ever to start with but regained himself to put in a decent shift, albeit while still looking like the weak link.

    Nacho – 8 – Another stalwart display from a man who will ask nothing of Los Blancos but still give everything to the club.

    Ferland Mendy – 8 – Had a mixed display in the sense that he lost Mahrez for the Algerian’s goal but his goal-line clearance prevented Grealish from scoring the goal of the tournament and set the stage for the Madrid comeback.

    Casemiro – 4 – Inexplicably avoided a yellow card let alone the red he deserved for his brutal cynical fouls on Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden in the first half. Really poor performance from a player who was obviously not fit. No surprise that Madrid improved once he went off.

    Luka Modric – 7 – Booked early for a scuffle. Helped Madrid take control of the second-half. Was subbed off before all the drama, for once.

    Toni Kroos – 6 – Nothing too outrageous but as always he completed more than 90% of his passes (91% to be exact).

    Fede Valverde – 7 – Worked his heart out, especially once moved to central midfield.

    Vinicius Jr. – 7 – Was largely bottled up in the first half but gave Walker a torrid time after the break when the Englishman picked up an injury. Wasn’t at his most incisive and wasted some very good chances but still threatened City regularly.

    Karim Benzema – 7 – Couple of decent chances early. Missed two sitters but was offside both times. Was lacking the ruthless killer touch he’s been displaying all through the knockout rounds but stepped up to confidently slot the match-winning penalty into the back of the net deep into extra-time.

    Real Madrid Substitutes:

    Rodrygo (for Kroos 68′) – 9 – The game-changing genius was at it again, this time by bagging a brilliant brace within the space of 90 seconds to take Madrid from nowhere to salvation. His ability to impact games off the bench is reminiscent of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and he’s fast developing into one of Real Madrid’s deadliest weapons.

    Marco Asensio (for Casemiro 75′) – 7 – Picked up an unintentional assist for Rodrygo’s second goal when he nodded on Carvajal’s cross.

    Eduardo Camavinga (for Modric 75′) – 8 – Gave the Madrid midfield the energy they needed. Not for the first time his introduction helped give life to a flagging Real Madrid. A reliable super-sub, if ever a defensive midfielder could be such a thing.

    Dani Ceballos (for Benzema 104′) – n/a – Came on late.

    Lucas Vazquez (for Vini Jr. 115′) – n/a – Came on late.

    Jesus Vallejo (for 115′) – 6 – Came on late but put in a big clearance in stoppage time.

    Can Man City recover to win the Premier League? Outright odds from William Hill…

    • To win the 2021/22 Premier League: Man City 4/9 | Liverpool 13/8 

    Follow this link for more William Hill football betting markets. Odds correct at time of publication. You must be over 18 to gamble. For more information, visit Be Gamble Aware.

    Manchester City

    Ederson – 4 – Immaculate kicking but no presence in goal when City needed him. Rooted to his line like David de Gea, with results that were Manchester United-esque. Not his finest moment in a City shirt.

    Kyle Walker – 8 – Sublime defending against the electric Vini Jr. and even though it wasn’t Vini who killed them, City completely folded after he went off.

    Ruben Dias – 7 – Rock solid at the back. Really unlucky to give away the tie-turning penalty when he appeared to get the ball.

    Aymeric Laporte – 5 – Booked early for scuffle with Modric. Played reasonably well at the back but his inability to clear a front-post header allowed Rodrygo to steal in and score twice.

    Joao Cancelo – 7 – Kept things ticking over and cut out so many Madrid counters.

    Rodri – 7 – A solid performance at the base of midfield.

    Kevin De Bruyne – 5 – Lovely lofted ball for Bernardo in the first half but that was the best he managed in what ended up being a rather poor showing from the brilliant Belgian.

    Bernardo Silva – 8 – One of the only City players to play well from the first whistle to the last. Dogged and determined in the tackle and mesmeric with the ball. Did not deserve to come out on the losing side. His assist for Mahrez was magic.

    Riyad Mahrez – 7 – A quiet night overall but briefly burst the Santiago Bernabeu’s invincible aura with a magical goal that appeared to have given City a historic win and place in the finals.

    Phil Foden – 7 – Pressed Militao into problems a lot. Played his heart out and never stopped running but just could not make it happen.

    Gabriel Jesus – 6 – Some very bright runs but overall did not offer enough of a goal threat.

    Manchester City Substitutes:

    Oleksandr Zinchenko (for Walker 72′) – 5 – Nowhere near as solid as Walker and was a non-event on the Madrid goals.

    Ilkay Gundogan (for De Bruyne 72′) – 5 – Offered none of the control he should have done.

    Jack Grealish (for Jesus 78′) – 5 – Could have scored the goal of the tournament when he recalled Ronaldinho’s 2005 magic at the Bernabeu, but was denied first by Courtois, then Mendy, then Courtois again. And then to complete the humiliation it was he who stood off Dani Carvajal and allowed him to make the cross that ended up taking the game to extra-time. He was sent on to see it out but in the end he’s humiliated Guardiola.

    Fernandinho (for Mahrez 85′) – 6 – A battling display but one short on quality.

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