adminLONDON. — Twenty-four hours after a semi-final of explosive emotion, desperation and high drama, Real Madrid and Manchester City served up one of the most disappointing semi-finals in years — fittingly sealed by a deflected cross — as the Bernabeu club made their second final in three years.
Cross-city rivals Atletico await them there, but you could have been convinced that neither side were that bothered about a trip to Milan and particularly Manchester City, who failed to even register a shot on target.
“The clash with City will not be placed on a pedestal in Madrid’s fabulous history, but they can now think about the final,” said El País , comparing the roaring quarter-final comeback against Wolfsburg with Wednesday night’s damp squib.
El Mundo , as many others did, began looking ahead to the job that awaits Pep Guardiola at the Etihad: “For City there are no magic moments. Guardiola has some work to do.”
“City were like another version of Pellegrini,” wrote ABC . “Pallid, bloodless football not suitable for transfusion,” and the Chilean was mocked for his claim that neither side deserved to win.
The Barcelona-based newspapers were, unsurprisingly, disappointed to see how poor the Manchester club were in lying down for Real Madrid.
SPORT considered them like “a child’s toy”, easy to play with, and claimed that they “gifted the final to Madrid.”
It wasn’t just the semi-final that was cited as a gift either, with the luck of having faced “continental powers” like Roma, Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the knockout stages being compared to Atleti’s tough path.
“Many questioned whether this was the same City that eliminated PSG,” said Mundo Deportivo , but the Madrid press was far more thankful.
“Real Madrid defeated an insipid Manchester City,” wrote Santi Segurola in his Marca match report, “who passed like a sleepwalker through the Bernabeu.”
The players were singled out. First Sergio Aguero, who is credited with one of City’s only two chances, even though “it doesn’t redeem him from his shameful performance over the two games.”
“De Bruyne behaved like a small-time player, without class, without character but also without resources.”
“Yaya Toure, a player declining so badly that he could barely move on the field, was the only one who managed to string two passes together.”
It just about summed up what was wrong with City, which was everything. Pep Guardiola’s mammoth task was mentioned by most, but most of all he will need to forge an identity for this side, who were lifeless and lacking in character or fight.
“Manchester City isn’t meat, nor fish. Nor is it vegetable… Flat in attack, week in defence and with no capacity to rouse themselves… they must change.”
Pep Guardiola can’t arrive soon enough. — The Mirror.
Online Reporter