Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has explained that his lack of action on the bench against Real Madrid was due to a desire to keep the ball.
Real Madrid were turning the screw in the second half of the first leg of the semi-final, despite City’s equaliser, with many feeling that Los Blancos were on top. Yet Guardiola did not choose to make any moves from his bench for the whole game.
Speaking to MD after the match, Guardiola explained that
“I thought that those who were there were fine.”
“Bernardo and Grealish could keep the ball and it was something we needed. If the game went crazy we didn’t have the same level [on the bench as them] as them, we needed pausa.”
Manchester City did eventually hold out for the point, and will feel comfortable at home going for the tie. The fact that he did not feel comfortable using some of his substitutes will be a concern for City fans.
Carlo Ancelotti himself did not make changes until the final 10 minutes of the match, bringing on Marco Asensio, Aurelien Tchouameni and Nacho Fernandez for Rodrygo Goes, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric respectively, in order to freshen things up.
It looked as if both managers were relatively happy with how their sides were coping, and were reluctant to alter the equilibrium.
Titbdklmpu
652
Madrid knw competition more than city n is bigger than city n they will trash city this’s semi final u would knw this’s a football not talking
amartious2000
613
Alavarez should have replaced Haaland.
Wondertinz
357
I think Pep is not saying the real reason for his no substitution. I feel the real reason why he didn't substitute for either alvarez, mahrez or foden was so madrid won't have an idea of how city plays like with them, to then think of how to stop them in the second leg. now madrid only have an idea of how those 11 city players play like together, but not how they play with foden, alvarez and mahrez, until the second leg, which then may be late to figure out how to stop them and may have gotten city some goals. in the first leg, we see no intense pressing on the defenders which is what alvarez is good at, no much attacking through the wing which mahrez and foden are good at. so that may be pep's plan and hope it works for him, because madrid are good at finding a way out of difficult teams. And the reason which they say here "is to keep the ball" sound stupid, because those other guys can keep the ball as well.
Keyckmntz
298
we need mahrez and foden in the second leg
Nganyewo
292
Is Pep just telling me that Mahrez, Alvarez, and Foden can't keep the ball. I don't understand. Cuz I see Mahrez as more of a headache to Camavinga than Bernaldo
AbdulZaks008
275
Meanwhile when you mark Haaland and forget that Kdb will come with thunderbolts
Rezeikpsuy
256
Real Madrid were scared of man city from the word go, to the moment I noticed Kroos,Modric and velvede inside their eighteen helping out defensively with clearances and tackles I knew Ancellotti was trying to get safe,thanks Courtouis for keeping them in the game and after they got an unexpected as always trust man city they maintained their nerves and pressed high up pitch and got a deserved equalizer...... One think I like about Pep"s team is their non aggressive approach to matches based on the tiki taka book of football wisdom but you see Rudiger running up and down like a hunter pinned on Haaland[Crylaugh] and Carvajal was always running after Grealish based on an instruction from Ancellotti
Webaelmouz
219
The subs should’ve been Gundo for Mahrez and B. Silva drop in midfield Grealish for Alvarez that way Haaland would’ve been more involved in the game.
Mancitymydna
186
City possess the ball alright, but our transition was poor, we didn’t give much threat to madrid while we attack them. silva, gundo, performance was not that good. KDB scored an important goal but he wasn’t at his best. Madrid didn’t have most of the possession, but you can see that their transition was more dangerous and they look more clinical with their chances. Madrid front 3 look very solid and can cause danger if you don’t defend well. I was expecting pep should do at least 3 changes, bring on mahrez, foden and Julian Alvarez, take out Grealish, Gundogan and Bernardo silva. Even Halland should have been substituted, but I think pep just let him stay on so he can confuse Madrid defenders, they keep paying more attention to Halland, so it will give space to other players to score. Rudiger was just following him all the time trying to frustrate him so he will be out of the game. Second leg they need to play at their best, give extra performance if they want to make it to the final.
FemiBalogun
9
Is Pep just telling me that Mahrez, Alvarez, and Foden can't keep the ball. I don't understand. Cuz I see Mahrez as more of a headache to Camavinga than Bernaldo
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Bernardo and greenlish can keep the ball better than foden and mahrez, as a Madrid fan, am praying silently yesterday for pep to remove Silva and greenlish so Madrid can control the game from middle fully, the reason why City dominated the midfield is because Bernardo and greenlish support the midfielders from the wing and know how to keep the ball away from us. assuming pep do those changes, Madrid will win that game for sure, Man City can not play 3men midfield against Madrid 3 midfielders that is why pep Sting to his 5 midfielders.