Manchester City have reached the Champions League final for the second time after a decisive 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final tie. The Premier League powerhouse is will hope to lift their first European Cup to become only the second English club to win the Treble – with the Premier League title and FA Cup also within their grasp – first claimed by Manchester United in 1999.
“With our people we’re always very strong. They were amazing once again today. They helped us get momentum to go after Madrid. We know how tough they are. Even in the second half they pushed us and could have scored,” Silva said. “We were very resilient, very passionate and organized at the same time, I’m so happy with this performance.” Follow us for more soccer predictions and news!
City’s victory over Real Madrid was a dominant display from the Premier League champions. They were superior in possession and created a number of chances, while Real Madrid rarely threatened. City, who won the first leg 1-1 in Madrid, were in control from the start at the Etihad Stadium and took the lead through Bernardo Silva in the 23rd minute, and doubled their advantage 14 minutes later.
Manuel Akanji scored City’s third goal in the 76th minute before Julian Alvarez added a fourth goal for City in the extra time to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory. “At home we feel incredible comfort with our people,” coach Pep Guardiola said. “A final against an Italian team is not the best gift, honestly. They are competitive. This victory will get a lot of compliments but we have time to prepare mentally.”
City have not lost at the Etihad in 26 Champions League matches going into the match against Real, who beat them in two Champions League semi-finals. They are on a 23-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. City’s performance was a statement of intent from a team that is determined to win the Champions League for the first time. They have now reached the final in two of the last three seasons and will be confident of going all the way this time around.
Guardiola’s men will now face Inter Milan in the final, which will be played in Istanbul on June 10. Inter, who are making their first Champions League final appearance since 2010, beat AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate in the other semi-final. The Champions League final is sure to be an exciting match. It will be a clash of two of the best teams in Europe and it could go either way.