'Will Man City play a training match against Real?'

Many fans were surprised to realize that Real Madrid only had one shot on goal in the first half of their Champions League semi-final second leg defeat to Manchester City, which Real Madrid lost 0-4.

Midway through the match, WhoScored posted a first-half shooting chart showing Man City had 13 shots, while Real only had one. "Is this a training match?" one fan questioned on Twitter . "It's embarrassing for Real." Another fan admitted: "Real won't be able to come back this time."

In the first 15 minutes, Real Madrid only made 13 passes, while Manchester City made 124. Without Thibaut Courtois, the reigning Champions League champions might have conceded an early goal.

First-half shooting diagram from the Man City 4-0 Real Madrid match on May 17th. Photo: WhoScored

The Belgian goalkeeper saved two close-range headers from Erling Haaland. One of them was a diving save that narrowly missed the post. "A fantastic save," many fans commented.

But Courtois couldn't save Real from a humiliating defeat. In the 23rd minute, he was helpless against Bernardo Silva's shot into the near corner. Then, in the 37th minute, the Portuguese midfielder shone once again with a header into the top corner.

Man City continued to play better after the break. In the 76th minute, Akanji's header deflected off Eder Militao, changing direction to make it 3-0. Just before the second half ended, Julian Alvarez scored against Courtois to seal the 4-0 victory.

Silva opened the scoring in Manchester City's 4-0 victory over Real Madrid on May 17th. Photo: Reuters

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand likened Real Madrid to rabbits staring at car headlights, as if they completely didn't understand the game. "This was a crushing defeat," Ferdinand asserted. "Manchester City were masters. They dominated from the start and completely took away Real's control of the game."

Ferdinand also noted that Real Madrid has a rich history and a great squad, but they are no longer the same team.

With a 4-0 victory in the second leg of the semi-final, Man City won 5-1 on aggregate. Pep Guardiola's team will play Inter in the final on June 10th in Istanbul, Türkiye. Man City has never won the European Cup/ Champions League, while Inter has won three titles.

Guardiola is delighted with his successful revenge against Real Madrid.

Man City also have a chance to win two other titles. On May 21st, they will be crowned Premier League champions if they beat Chelsea at home. Man City are currently leading the league with 85 points after 35 matches, four points ahead of Arsenal and with a game in hand. On June 3rd, Man City will face Man Utd in the FA Cup final.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid finished the 2022-2023 season with the Copa del Rey. They will still qualify for the Champions League next season, having finished in the top four of La Liga. Last season, Real Madrid came from behind to beat Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals, then defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final to win their 14th European title.

Thanh Quy (via Twitter )

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