Picture Credit: Twitter
Manchester City showed their class yet again in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. While Atletico showed great resistance and were in no mood to give City a chance to score, the Premier League club found a way to end the goal-drought and take a slender 1-0 lead after the end of the first leg.
When it mattered the most, it was Kevin de Bryune who helped City score the only goal of the match in the 70th minute of the match. While City dominated possession in the first half, no team made a real attempt to get the opening goal at the Etihad Stadium.
In the second half, quite a few visuals have gone viral which show that Atletico Madrid even had all 11 players trying to prevent City to score in this fixture. Yet the moment of magic did arrive courtesy of substitute Phil Foden who produced a perfect pass through the legs of Reinildo Mandava. De Bryune then found the back of the net in a clinical finish.
Have a look at the video and a few images here:
After the goal, City boss Pep Guardiola's wild celebration made it clear how much it meant for City to take a lead heading into Madrid, even if it was a one-goal advantage before they meet for the second leg on April 13.
"We played an incredible top side who are difficult to face, but it is a good result," said Guardiola after the game.
"We had chances to score a second and third. It is not easy to face a team with a lot of experience in this tournament. We will go there to score and try to win again," he added.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone expressed his disappointment with the result.
"It is a bad result because we lost 1-0 and we were looking to win," Simeone said post the match.
"It is clear we were playing against an extraordinary opponent. The numbers and statistics speak for themselves and they play in a very dynamic way. We had to suffer but we have to go to Madrid now and use the tools we have at our disposal," he added.