Here was Haaland, dropping deep to select up the ball, being thrown to the bottom by Rüdiger. Here was Rüdiger, for some cause slipping his head via the criminal of Haaland’s elbow, successfully giving his consent to be positioned in a headlock, grinning in (presumably) unintentional homage to Jack Nicholson in “The Shining” as he did so.
Most judges, by the top, would have scored it a break up determination: Haaland didn’t rating, a rarity this season, and in fact had solely a few sights of aim; his presence was central, although, in creating the house that led to Kevin De Bruyne’s equalizer for City, the strike that may make Guardiola’s group the slight favourite when hostilities are resumed subsequent week in England.
And that, maybe, won’t displease both coach. For all their philosophical variations, what was hanging about this sport was simply how conscious each groups have been of the opposite’s strengths, their capability to inflict harm. That, greater than something, might need been the enduring lesson of their encounter in a semifinal final season: Madrid acutely aware of simply how good City might be; City acutely aware {that a} group might be pretty much as good because it likes in opposition to Madrid and nonetheless lose.
Real, on residence territory, was at occasions so passive that it tried its followers’ persistence; the Bernabéu is just not used, in spite of everything, to its guests having the temerity to maintain the ball for lengthy intervals of time. There was some extent, halfway via the primary half, when City’s passing began to affront the gang’s dignity: What had began as whistling turned, slowly however certainly, into jeers.
For Ancelotti, although, that was a value price paying: Tactically, strategically, it made sense for Real to dig in, to sit down deep, to lie in wait, after which to select its moments. A couple of minutes later, his strategy bore fruit: Eduardo Camavinga, enjoying the hybrid fullback/midfielder position that’s so de rigueur lately, noticed a spot and levered it open, then discovered Vinícius Júnior in adequate house to fizz a shot previous Ederson.
Even a aim down, although, City didn’t see the necessity to undertake a extra assertive, extra aggressive posture. Guardiola’s insatiable urge for food for possession is just not a purely offensive maneuver: To some extent, it’s a defensive measure, too. More than he want to admit, maybe, he hews to his previous rival José Mourinho’s adage that “whoever has the ball, has fear.”
Source: www.nytimes.com