Manchester City on Wednesday night picked the other ticket for the Champions League final at Istanbul with a dominant 4-0 victory over Real Madrid.
Bernardo Silva struck twice in the first half before Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez’s late efforts earned City a 5-1 aggregate win to reach their second European final in three years, where they will face Inter Milan.
The City faithful were well up for the occasion prior to kick-off and the players duly responded with a purposeful opening that gave them the platform to assert control throughout.
The one-sided encounter saw Man City dominating possession and outplaying Madrid in a match they could have easily gone up three to four goals before Bernardo Silva’s 23 minutes effort.
Thibaut Courtois kept Erling Haaland off the scoresheet with two world-class stops from point-blank range but Bernardo was on hand to provide the killer touch instead.
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The 28-year-old made no mistake with his first effort, lashing home after being played through by Rodri before being in the perfect place to head home the second goal of the night.
With the first Champions League finalist secured on Tuesday night, Manchester City sent a superb warning signal to Inter Milan ahead of their Istanbul final in June. Many have billed the thrilling matchup as the de facto Champions League final with the tie perfectly poised at 1-1 after last week’s first leg.
Despite the scoreline being level going into the second leg, Man City were the favourites against the defending champions based on recent form, with the hosts unbeaten since February. However, they have been unable to break their Champions League curse despite having spent billions on the squad.
Man City have underachieved in Europe throughout Pep Guardiola’s tenure and were aiming to lift their very first Champions League title this season, which has otherwise been hugely successful as they are in the race for a treble.
The hosts are in the hunt for a historic treble this season, and have the chance to wrap up their Premier League crowns as early as this Sunday against Chelsea, courtesy of Arsenal’s late-season collapse. The Cityzens (Sky Blues) will also face Manchester United in the FA Cup final in June.
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