European football is poised to get a new ruling monarch following the Champions League exit of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid – with Pep Guardiola hoping for his long-awaited coronation
The king is dead, long live the king.
Pep Guardiola’s superstars head to Turkey as red hot favourites (Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
European football is poised to get a new ruling monarch following the Champions League exit of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. And Pep Guardiola will be hoping his long-awaited coronation will take place in Istanbul on June 10.
That’s when his Manchester City side take on Inter Milan in the showpiece final, looking to get their hands on the biggest club prize of the lot for the first time in history. City secured their place in what will be a second final after marmalising the reigning champions from Madrid.
The Etihad had never witnessed scenes like it before as City produced one of the great performances of Guardiola’s era to demolish the most successful side in European history.
Bernardo Silva turned to gold instead with a brilliant brace. Manuel Akanji’s fortunate effort and Julian Alvarez’s last gasp strike completed a mesmerising night in Manchester. Now Guardiola’s superstars will head to Turkey as red hot favourites to reach their Holy Grail as part of what could well be a sensational Treble.
It would take a brave man to back against City ending their long wait to finally wear the Champions League crown.
Inter didn’t even win their group, beat Porto, Benfica and neighbours AC Milan in the knockout stages and are 17 points behind Serie A winners Napoli this season.
City, on the other hand, are about to win the Premier League and have beaten giants Bayern Munich and now Real on a crusade at home and abroad like no other.
Bernardo Silva was at the double – to put City on their way to the final (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Guardiola had named the same team that drew in Madrid, but Ancelotti sprang a surprise by dropping Antonio Rudiger in favour of Eder Militao, despite him having kept Erling Haaland quiet in the Bernabeu.
Fuelled by the pain of what happened between these two heavyweights last season, City started like a team possessed.
Haaland broke free and rounded Thibaut Courtois but couldn’t find a team-mate with his pull back, before Rodri burst into the box but saw his shot go inches wide.
John Stones fired wide along with Jack Grealish, while Haaland somehow failed to bet Courtois with a header from point blank range.
Guardiola was whipping up the crowd as the bedlam continued. Courtois produced an even better save to tip wide Haaland’s header as the siege continued.
Karim Benzema was way off the pace as the champions crashed out (Image: Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid were outmatched (Image: Getty Images)
But Courtois was powerless to stop Silva firing City ahead on 23 minutes after latching onto Kevin De Bruyne’s sublime pass, before smashing a shot past the startled Belgian.
Real were getting annihilated.
But we’ve seen it all before – and out of nothing the visitors almost equalised when Toni Kroos let fly from 30 yards to rattle Ederson’s crossbar.
Yet City felt invincible and doubled their lead before half time when that man Silva headed a loose ball into the net after Ilkay Gundogan’s shot had been deflected into his path.
Julian Alvarez made it four as Man City booked a date with destiny (Image: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola got the better of Carlo Ancelotti on a memorable night (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Talk about a Silva service.
Real are famed for their comebacks, but City refused to take their boots of the Spaniards’ throats.
And when Militao put through his own goal on 76 minutes, Real’s humiliation was complete before Alvarez pounced.
Real inflicted utter devastation on City at this stage last season – so revenge won’t ever taste much sweeter than this for the home side.
Now there is just one more hurdle standing between Guardiola and him finally lifting the trophy he was hired in the first place to win.
SOURCE: dailystar.co.uk
