Author: Soorya G
Manchester City – Bayern – 3:0
Manchester City beat German giants Bayern Munich at the Etihad in a result that should guarantee the reigning English champions a ticket to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side were sensational against the Germans, knocking them out 3-0 to put themselves in a really strong position. Jack Grealish put in another magical performance at the Etihad to beat Bayern to the finish, despite the best efforts of Leroy Sane and Yann Sommer. The goalkeepers at both ends, Sommer and Ederson, made some jaw-dropping saves.
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City started strongly, pressuring Bayern’s defense relentlessly, a strategy that almost paid off, except for Sommer’s ability to clear the ball. City kept attacking to find an opening and finally put the scoreboard in front when Bernardo Silva found Rodri in free space. The Spaniard then hit a thunderous left-footed shot into the top corner. Former Man City striker Leroy Sane was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch for his team, as he made several attempts on goal and came close on more than one occasion, drawing great saves from Ederson.
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With 20 minutes remaining, Bayern seemed happy to take a 1-0 lead into the Allianz Arena, but a terrible mistake by DayotUpamecano was taken advantage of by Grealish, who found Gundogan, before ErlingHaaland’s perfect pass to Bernardo Silva doubled the hosts’ advantage. The mistake had the effect of bringing City back into the action, as they were constantly on the lookout for a third goal, which eventually came from ErlingHaaland, who has scored six goals in Champions League qualifying this season. Julian Alvarez, who came on as a substitute, was also fantastic, with the World Cup winner tormenting the defence on several occasions.
Benfica – Inter – 0:2
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Benfica’s Brazilian defenders – Gilberto and Morato – didn’t have a reliable game. Meanwhile, two-time champions Inter Milan traveled to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, to face Benfica, who started as slight favorites in a favorable environment. The Portuguese looked to take advantage early on, with full-back Alex Grimaldo combining brilliantly with star striker Rafa Silva. The two ran into the attacking third, with Gonçalo Ramos being the player of choice. The cross didn’t reach him, but Gianluca Dimarco’s header fell beautifully for Rafa Silva, who fired wide, drawing a good save from André Onana. Grimaldo, who thought about shooting on the rebound, was hit by Denzel Dumfries. Benfica dominated the game for most of the first half, but couldn’t get going, despite João Mário, Rafa Silva and Aursnes having great opportunities to do so.
Inter managed to open the scoring with a wonderfully constructed goal, when midfielder Alessandro Bastoni’s ball into the box was headed in by Nicolo Barella. Just before the hour mark, a golden opportunity arose for Benfica, as João Mário dribbled past four Inter defenders into the box, finding Grimaldo, who couldn’t complete. Silva and Chiquinho tried their best to clear on the line, but to no avail, as Inter escaped what should have been a sure goal. To make matters worse for the hosts, a handball in the box resulted in a penalty for Inter, which Romelu Lukaku scored with precision to give Inter a 2-0 win.