MANCHESTER CITY produced a first half of pure domination against Real Madrid at the Etihad tonight – with a shot map to prove it.
Bernardo Silva’s double put Pep Guardiola’s side into dreamland by the break, sending City 3-1 up on aggregate.
And the stats from the opening 45 minutes illustrated just how dominant City were.
WhoScored posted a screenshot of their shot map at half-time – and it didn’t make pretty reading for fans of Madrid.
The graphic showed that City had peppered Thibaut Courtois’ goal from all angles, having had 13 efforts on goal.
Madrid’s shot map made for more bleak reading, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men having had just ONE attempt in the first half.
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Upon seeing the shot map, one fan asked: “is it a training match?”
While a second called it “embarrassing”.
A third definitively added: “No coming back for Real this time around.”
Madrid completed just 13 passes in the first 15 minutes of the match, while City made 124 in the same time period.
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Courtois had to be at his brilliant best to prevent the scoreline being even worse.
The former Chelsea stopper made a particularly sensational save in the first half that had fans purring.
Erling Haaland appeared a certainty to score when he redirected a header back across goal.
Courtois somehow adjusted his body to get over to it, stretching his right arm and getting a strong hand to the ball and tip it wide.
The Belgian was congratulated by his pumped up team-mates for the stop, with fans on Twitter left stunned by his quick reactions – and “WHAT A SAVE” immediately trending.
BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand gushed over City’s performance at the break.
He said: “Well, well, well. That is an absolute masterclass.
“They have been dominant from the first whistle, they’ve absolutely taken the game away from Real Madrid.
“And we’re talking about a team steeped in history, a club steeped in history and that understand this tournament, with great players on their team.
“They’ve been made to look like rabbits in headlights. Like they don’t understand what this game is.
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“This has been a battering. We’ve been sitting here gasping at times the way City have kept the ball and still created opportunities.”
City continued to dominate in the second period, winning 4-0 on the night to seal a sensational 5-1 aggregate win, booking their place in next month’s final.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
