"They were not dangerous" - Real Madrid star criticizes Manchester City's toothless display in 1-1 UCL draw
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger believes Manchester City did not pose a real threat in the recent UEFA Champions League clash between the two sides.
Los Blancos locked horns with the Cityzens in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals on May 9. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring with a beautiful strike from outside the box in the first half.
But Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne then equalized in the second half with an equally exquisite long-range shot.
While the match ended in a stalemate, Rudiger seems to believe Real Madrid deserved to win with their performance, while criticizing his opponents' display. The German international told beIN Sports after the match (as quoted by 90min):
"They got the goal quite late so we feel like we could have had more but it's not a problem, the tie is definitely on and we can go to Manchester with confidence. At the end of the day they were not dangerous. They had a lot of possession, we knew this would happen, but they were not dangerous. The goal is quality from De Bruyne."
When asked about his side's chances of emerging victorious from the second leg against Manchester City, Rudiger said:
"We are Real Madrid, we are always confident."
Pep Guardiola's men will face Los Blancos in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash on May 17 at the Etihad.
"It was not easy for him" - Pep Guardiola explains why Manchester City's Erling Haaland was silent against Real Madrid
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has been in exceptional form this season. The Norwegian striker has racked up a whopping 51 goals and eight assists across competitions for the Cityzens this term.
While many expected the former Borussia Dortmund star to find the back of the net against Real Madrid, he could not score. Haaland struggled to make a meaningful impact on the match, managing only 21 touches the entire game (via The Mirror).
Following the encounter, Guardiola explained why his star striker was not firing that night. The Spanish boss said (as quoted by GOAL):
"The pockets and distances between the central defenders and full-backs were occupied by attacking midfielders, [Luka] Modric, Toni Kroos and [Federico] Valverde. Twin central defender close to Erling, it was not easy for him. He moved well and had his chances."
Haaland will want to get on the scoresheet in the second leg and help his side to the UCL final this term.