Author – Amrit Santlani
Vinicius Junior was Real Madrid’s chief architect in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester City. The Brazilian winger has been Real Madrid’s biggest threat, with his pace and trickery, against every team the La Liga giants have faced so far in the Champions League, and with City, it was no different.
Pep Guardiola planned to keep the 22-year-old at bay, using a combination of Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker on the right flank, but even so, the Brazilian managed to dribble past his markers and score an incredible goal from outside the box, earning Guardiola much praise.
“They scored when we were better. It was a fantastic goal. We managed to draw the game and now the tie will be decided in Manchester. It’s soccer. They’re very similar games. Last year, what happened happened. Now it’s time to recover“, said the Spanish coach in his post-match interview.
The Premier League giants managed to snatch a draw thanks to an equally impressive goal from Kevin de Bruyne, their talisman. It was a game of fine margins, and two sensational goals separated the two teams.
Vinicius scored his 15th goal in the Champions League on Tuesday night, although De Bruyne ensured that the second leg remained a 1-1 draw on aggregate. These two teams met in last year’s semi-finals, with Madrid managing to find a miraculous escape to secure a comeback victory and advance to the final.
Guardiola recalled that his team had won the first leg 4-3 in Manchester and yet Carlo Ancelotti’s side managed to secure a hard-fought victory in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach said that, just like last season, his team had a good chance in the second leg, but they need to up their game at the Etihad and defend better.
The Catalan coach also asked his players to be more ruthless in their attacks. The second leg will be played next Wednesday, May 17, with a place in the final up for grabs.