London (EFE) duel against Bayern Munich (3-0).
Those of Pep Guardiola were better, who enjoyed a game of comings and goings in which they waited for the second part to leave the tie on the verge of candy and add another presence among the four best teams in Europe, each time closer to the goal to raise an ‘Orejona’ that, watching the City game, they begin to deserve.
Rodri’s goal, spectacularly made, with a shot with his less good leg directly to the top corner, was the foretaste of a comfortable City without eternal possession of the ball and who knew how to take advantage of the childish errors of the Bayern defense. When Dayot Aupamecano gave away the ball at 2-0, so that between Grealish and Haaland they cooked up a perfect cross for Bernardo, the tie ended up unbalancing for the English, who barring a catastrophe at the Allianz Arena will be in the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
The City, wood of champion
Because from what was demonstrated this Tuesday at the Etihad, this City has champion material. Finally, many will think. Far from getting involved, as other years would have done, with the score 1-0 and Bayern getting closer to Ederson, who had one of his best European nights, they sentenced the champion. First, with Haaland as an assistant for the 2-0, then, with the Norwegian as a scorer, in the small area, in a dead ball, as he likes.
And it is not that Bayern was dominated and suffocated behind the entire match. Those of Thomas Tuchel, who this time lost the battle with Guardiola, were able to take something from the Etihad. Musiala had the best, the one that could change the course, a shot from inside the area that caught Ederson on foot changed, but in which Ruben Dias’s leg appeared to block.
A save that thirty seconds later became a City goal. Rodri made a cut at thirty meters and fired a remote-controlled shot at the squad. What a way to release his record in the Champions League.
A goal that, far from giving peace of mind to the game, turned it into a runner. Sommer took out several merit, Gundogan from the ground, Dias from point blank range, Aké without an angle, while Ederson became the hero against Sané. But the game was defined by Aupamecano, giving Grealish a ball that he turned into a heel for Haaland.
The Norwegian got into the area and when everyone was waiting for a shot, he chipped the ball to the far post so that Bernardo went in alone and headed on goal.
The Norwegian’s generosity was rewarded minutes later, when the swing was only leaning towards Sommer’s goal. Stones, at the exit of a corner, killed a ball at the far post and Haaland, with his crazy face for the goal, ran to the ball and crossed it to the Swiss goalkeeper.
The 3-0, which could have been even greater if Julián Álvarez or Rodri had hit Sommer’s goal in the final minutes, is synonymous with the semifinals for Guardiola’s men, who next week will visit Munich almost as a formality. The miracle of the Bavarians seems impossible.
- Datasheet:
3 – Manchester City: Ederson; Stones, Akanji, Dias, Aké; Rodrigo, De Bruyne (Álvarez, m.68), Gundogan; Bernardo, Grealish and Haaland.
0 – Bayern Munich: Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies (Cancel, m.80); Goretzka, Kimmich, Musiala (Mané, m.69); Eat, Sané and Gnabry (Muller, m.80).
Goals: 1-0. Rodri, m.27, 20. Silva, m.70 y 3-0. Haaland, m.76.
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP) admonished Silva (m.48) for Manchester City and Davies (m.49) and Pavard (m.88) for Bayern Munich.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals played at the Etihad Stadium (Manchester).
0-2. The crisis of the Inter of Milan attenuates in Lisbon
A goal from Barella and another from Lukaku gave Inter Milan victory over Benfica in Lisbon and eased the results crisis for the “Nerazzurri” team, which returned to winning ways after six games.
In a repeat of the 1965 European Cup final, Inter were not “Great”, but they were good enough to win the tie in their favor at the Estadio de la Luz, where teams like PSG and Juventus Turin had it very difficult.
Benfica, for their part, fell again after the classic against Porto, and once again they did not know how to regularly apply their game that has earned them so much praise in recent months.EFE/EPA/JOSE SENA GOULAO