Three things Real Madrid need to do to overcome Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal
After the thrilling 1-1 draw between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, May 9, everyone is expecting more of the same from the second leg. The game ended on a sour note for Real Madrid as they were unable to capitalize on their second-half dominance after weathering the storm earlier on in the first half.
After scoring with their only effort on target in the first half, Real Madrid came out swinging in the second half. But, despite Real having 12 shots on goal in the second half and three on target, it was City who scored via a thumping effort from Kevin De Bruyne.
Real Madrid would surely have wanted a win at the Bernabeu to put City in a more perilous position ahead of the second leg. But now, Pep Guardiola's men are slight favorites to progress to the final due to home advantage in the second leg.
Although Real Madrid should never be written off, especially in the Champions League, they will need an almighty effort to progress to their second successive UCL final.
So, without any further ado, here are the three things Real Madrid must do to eliminate Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal:
#3. Start Aurelien Tchouameni in the defensive midfield position
Against City at the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti opted for the midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Federico Valverde. As a result, the defensive midfield duties were largely delegated to Toni Kroos, with both Valverde and Modric also helping out in defense.
However, the German maestro is not a natural defensive midfielder. He is more adept at playing the role of a deep-lying playmaker with fewer defensive responsibilities. It is no wonder Kroos received a caution after a clumsy tackle on Ilkay Gundogan.
Real Madrid had signed Aurelien Tchouameni for the sole purpose of finding cover for Casemiro, who has since left the club for Manchester United. The French prodigy's strong spatial awareness combined with an impressive physique and tackling ability make him an ideal candidate to disrupt City's rhythm in the middle of the park.
Tchouameni can offer a lot of value to Los Blancos in possession as well. He can dictate the tempo of the game from defensive as well as advanced positions and also possesses a venomous long-shot. His effort against City in the 90th minute from well outside the box was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Ederson.
Besides, Tchouameni has a knack for delivering in big games against quality opposition. Be it his jaw-dropping assist for Rodrygo against Atletico Madrid earlier this season or his stunning strike in the World Cup quarterfinal against England, he is the player for the big occasion.
#2. Focus more on wing play instead of attacking from the centre
Karim Benzema had an extremely quiet evening against City by his standards. Although there were some beautiful touches and flicks, there was no end product to show for it.
Given Manchester City will be on the front foot for the majority of the return leg, Real Madrid need to be on their toes and deliver the sucker punch on the counter-attack. And for that, the pace of wingers Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo will be vital.
At the Etihad, City will try to dominate proceedings by suffocating the opposition's centre-backs and midfielders while also pushing their fullbacks further forward. Consequently, the duo of Rodri and Diaz will become the last line of defense ahead of Ederson.
Hence, Los Blancos need to make smart use of Rodrygo and especially Vinicius to stretch the game once they receive the ball instead of building play from the centre. Karim Benzema is more suited to a possession-oriented style of football and he can be utilized to occupy Rodri and Diaz's attention.
If executed properly, this will give Real a numerical advantage in the final third. Except for Kyle Walker, nobody in City's defense can keep up with the electric Vinicius. Real need to make sure Vinicius and Rodrygo get into one-on-one situations against City's wide defenders.
#1. Make the game as frenetic as possible
What sets Pep Guardiola's teams apart from the rest is their ability to set the tempo of the game irrespective of the quality of the opposition. His teams assert their dominance over their opposition by slowly killing off their opponent's press while waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver the killer blow.
But City's recent matchups against Bayern and Real have one thing in common: they are not comfortable against an opposition playing at a high tempo. In this season's quarterfinal second leg, City were unable to assert their dominance in the first half against a Bayern side who had to overturn a three-goal deficit.
Even Erling Haaland was not his usual self in the first half against the Bavarians, with the Norwegian skying his penalty that could have settled the tie in the first half itself. City ultimately won the tie, but Bayern had 58% of the ball and seven shots on target in the second leg.
In the semifinal first leg on Tuesday, as soon as Real upped the ante after scoring against the run of play, City found themselves struggling. The relief on Kevin De Bruyne's face after scoring a thunderbolt against Madrid perfectly summed up City's night.
These two games have laid down the marker for the 14-time champions. Real have a history of thriving in chaos whereas City have fallen short every time they've had to deal with it. And it needs to get more chaotic against the English Champions for Real Madrid to progress to their second successive Champions League final.