Manchester City and Real Madrid conquered the hearts of many football fans on Tuesday evening. In the first semi-final of the Champions League, both European elite clubs turned it into a true thriller. In the end, Josep Guardiola’s team triumphed (4-3), but it is by no means decided. The newspapers in the Netherlands couldn’t get enough of it either. “Manchester City – Real Madrid should have lasted forever”, writes Willem Vissers in De Volkskrant†
“This was without a doubt the best Champions League match of this season”, opens The Telegraph Monday in the sports section. “The audience in the Etihad Stadium could not see what was happening on the turf. A blue hurricane swept over Real Madrid, which at that time still looked like a team full of old men,” the daily refers to the opening phase. . City took the lead after a minute and a half via Kevin De Bruyne, who scored the fastest goal ever in the semi-final of a Champions League match. Within ten minutes Gabriel Jesus had already doubled the score by finishing from close range after a somewhat lucky control.
“But if there is one conclusion to be drawn this season, it is that Real Madrid were never beaten until the final whistle has sounded.” City lifted the margin to two goals three times, but saw Carlo Ancelotti’s team continuously straighten their backs. A goal from Vinícius Júnior and two goals from Karim Benzema, including an unparalleled panenka, made it a bearable starting position for the Royal with a view to the return next week. Benzema scored his 41st goal this season and his 14th goal in the current Champions League campaign with his penalty kick. “Only a top striker with a surplus of self-confidence can do that,” concludes The Telegraph†
† Benzema makes fun of Ederson ?? Laporte makes hands, Benzema has a panenka in the house from the dot?#ZiggoSport #UCL #MCIRMA pic.twitter.com/nNlAHU67yf
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Apr 26, 2022
It General Newspaper even speaks of ‘one of the most beautiful Champions League matches of the century’, but wonders aloud whether Guardiola will succeed in winning the billion-dollar ball with City. “Now it remains to be seen whether Guardiola will win the Champions League this season. It has not happened since he left Barcelona. Not at Bayern Munich and not yet at Manchester City. The final is far from being reached, while the spoils already seemed in after eleven minutes. But the respect between the two managers (Ancelotti won the trophy three times as a trainer, ed.) is also great under the greatest possible pressure of a semi-final of the Champions League. “
The best view may well come from Willem Vissers, who met the match between City and Real in De Volkskrant describes as ‘a treat for the football crowd’. “Football as football is meant to be, one night to write in the book of hymns to the game. All interests in modern top football and the stress disappeared before the eyes of the world, in a masterful match that can serve as an example for a sometimes overwrought biotope.” Vissers also saw a dominant City in the first half hour. “As supreme as City were in large parts of the game on Tuesday, especially before half-time, it was almost dismal.”
In addition to Benzema, De Bruyne also became an absolute trendsetter. The midfielder was responsible for the 1-0 and provided the assist for the 2-0. “Ah, Kevin De Bruyne, what a wonderful show he put on the mat in the first half,” writes Vissers. “And so it went on hanging garlands, after rest, with this show in a million, this treat. Karim Benzema is the leading candidate for the Golden Ball. It should have gone on forever, this whirlwind. It was an evening when “Two teams allowed each other the pleasure of football. No hassle, no simulation, no time wasting. Just play football, respect each other’s qualities, be free, and in the meantime try to score a goal more than the opponent.”