Real Madrid v Man City: the hits and misses
Vinicius Jr was in sparkling form against Manchester City tonight. The Brazilian produced a gem to open the scoring.
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The hits
Vinicius
He has got us used to the dribbling and the delicate finishes, but not to thunderbolts into the net. Well, Vinicius did it on Tuesday 9 May against Manchester City in the semi-final of the Champions League (1-1). The 22-year-old Brazilian opened the scoring with a magnificent strike in the 36th minute. It was his 7th goal of the season in the Champions League, and he also has 5 assists. He is Madrid's main man this season in the Champions League. After that, the Auriverde did what he does best: causing problems. Runs, wild dribbles and a constant threat.
https://twitter.com/lnstantFoot/status/1656021956792049665
Kévin De Bruyne
The playmaker, the maestro, the orchestrator, the man who does it all... there is no shortage of superlatives to describe the Belgian. He set up most of his side's chances, alongside Gundogan. De Bruyne then equalised in the second half, when his team were struggling badly in the game. It was a goal as good and as valuable as Vinicius's. The Belgian was also named Man of the Match. In the return leg, Pep Guardiola will again count on him to get them into the final.
Antonio Rudiger
If you look in the German defender's pockets, you will find his keys, his phone and perhaps Erling Haaland. The former Chelsea man filled in superbly for the suspended Eder Militao. Rudiger showed tonight that Real Madrid were right to sign him on a free last summer. Solid in his duels with the Norwegian, effective when stepping out and sharp in anticipation, he arguably delivered his best performance since the start of the season.
The misses
Erling Haaland
51 goals this season in all competitions, and an invisibility cloak in this Champions League semi-final. One weak shot in the first half, another blocked in the second, and that was it. The Cyborg could not live with the other stars on the pitch, such as Vinicius, De Bruyne and others. He will need to wake up in the return leg.
Karim Benzema
He was expected to shine in this match of stars, and we are still waiting for him now that the game is over. The "Nueve", apart from a few world-class touches early on, did not create a single chance in the first half. In the second, he combined well with Vinicius and Rodrygo to get a shot away, deflected by Stone. Then he sent in a header that Ederson pushed out. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner has to offer more next week.
Daniel Carvajal
In the next transfer window, Real Madrid have set recruitment priorities: a striker to back up Benzema, a left-back and a right-back. The Madrid side have clearly understood that Daniel Carvajal's best days are behind him. The Spaniard, timid going forward, had only one achievement in this match: not getting booked. The referee was lenient, particularly in the first half.