Real Madrid vs Man City: Ratings and analysis as Rodrygo-inspired Real seal Champions League final place

Real Madrid 3-1 Man City AET (6-5 agg) – (Rodrygo 90′, 90+1, Benzema (p) 95′ | Mahrez 73′)

Real Madrid hadn’t yet fallen behind to Manchester City when Carlo Ancelotti summoned Rodrygo from the bench to play the role of difference-maker.

Within a matter of minutes after his introduction, Riyad Mahrez had fired City into what everybody had – naively – assumed would be the decisive goal in what had been an engrossing Champions League semi-final, from Manchester to Madrid.

Rodrygo had other ideas. With the 90 minutes on the clock, the Brazilian was on hand to set up a nerve-jangling ending, tapping in at the far post after Karim Benzema had knocked the ball across goal. Right place, right time.

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And in the blink of an eye, the comeback, another comeback was on, this time Rodrygo nodding into the top corner with the aid of a deflection. It was the first time in the competition’s history that a player had scored twice in the 90th minute of a knockout game and were it not for the broad frame of Ederson, he could have had a hat-trick. Nobody is ruing the loss of away goals now.

Within a few minutes of extra-time, Real had taken the lead. Of course they had. This time Benzema doing the damage from the penalty spot. It was the Frenchman who settled the contest, but Rodrygo who won it. His tide-turning intervention gave Real life when it looked like they were on their last legs, putting City to sleep in the process.

Rodrygo wasn’t around when many of this squad were collecting one Champions League trophy or another. Real’s scouts must have a knack for locating players with sizeable cojones. A couple of La Liga crowns aren’t to be scoffed at, but the 21-year-old has been peripheral to each success, the least-heralded of the Brazilian superstars of tomorrow.

Vinicius Jr was electric across both legs, but finally, his compatriot has joined him on the big stage. Much to City’s lamentable cost.

Player ratings

Real Madrid (4-4-1-1): Courtois 7; Carvajal 6, Militao 6, Nacho 6, Mendy 7; Valverde 7, Casemiro 6 (Asensio 6), Kroos 6 (Rodrygo 9), Vinicius Jr 8; Modric 7 (Camavinga 8); Benzema 7 (Ceballos 6)

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Walker 7 (Zinchenko 6), Dias 7, Laporte 6, Cancelo 6; Rodri 7 (Sterling 6), De Bruyne 5 (Gundogan 6), Bernardo 8; Mahrez 7 (Fernandinho 6), Foden 7, Jesus 6 (Grealish 6)

Bernardo Silva’s was City’s star on a painful night

Just imagine if Diego Simeone had got his hands on Bernardo Silva last summer.

It seems incredible now that Manchester City were open to the idea of letting their diminutive Portuguese genius, who plays the game as if the ball is superglued to his left foot, return to the Iberian peninsula. Atletico Madrid were frequently mentioned as the main suitors for his signature, presumably with the aim of turning him into world football’s most technically gifted s___house.

Equally baffling is that City finished 12 points clear in the 2020-21 Premier League table despite Silva starting just over two-thirds of their matches. City’s squad is so strong that star players elsewhere suddenly become flashy bit-parts at the Etihad; English football’s first £100m player Jack Grealish, introduced as a 78th-minute substitute at the Bernabeu, is an obvious example, but there are plenty of others.

Silva was exceptional for City despite their shock defeat (Photo: AFP)

Only those who provide obvious moments of brilliance, like Kevin De Bruyne or acts of bravery like Ruben Dias, are usually singled out for praise. Other exceptional talents merely blend in. Silva is one of them. Pick him out of this line-up and plonk him into virtually any other in Europe and he would be the headline act.

It was telling that as City sought to solidify their aggregate advantage over the La Liga title winners, Ilkay Gundogan was summoned to replace De Bruyne and not Silva. Watching De Bruyne toil made for an uncomfortable viewing experience.

But it was absolutely the right call. Within a matter of minutes, Silva had floated his way through Real’s half and teed up Riyad Mahrez. On nights like these, there are always players who deserve more than to be on the losing side. This time, it was Silva’s turn.

Analysis: Real Madrid are the Champions League’s great survivors

By Daniel Storey, i‘s chief football writer

BERNABEU — In the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu, the locals twirled their scarves and jumped up and down on their tiptoes, overcome by the excitement of what they had witnessed. They blocked the view of the pitch, such was their frenzy. It did not matter, even though there were 10 minutes remaining. By then the soundtrack of Real Madrid’s support was more informative than any commentator could ever hope to be. They were toasting a miracle. No – they were toasting another miracle.

Real Madrid have been the great survivors of this season’s Champions League, the itch no superclub can scratch. They were 2-0 down on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain with 30 minutes remaining, 4-3 down to Chelsea after 80 minutes of their second leg and three times trailed by two goals to City in Manchester. Thought you’d seen all their greatest tricks? Think again.

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There are two ways to assess this outrageous ability for turning enough water into wine to fill a cellar. Either Carlo Ancelotti’s team have an unbreakable spirit, a grisly permanence assisted by a three-man midfield with a combined age of 98. Or that they have repeatedly left themselves with little choice but to opt for frenzy. And in Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, they have two of the very few players who can keep their heads in that atmosphere.

The second option – chaos through necessity rather than choice – makes more sense given the serenity of the La Liga title saunter. But how many miracles does it take until they are no longer miracles but simply a team that never gives up and keeps its head astonishingly well under pressure. How many Champions League finals does Ancelotti need to reach until he reaches the pantheon of the true greats of his art?

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