Over the course of 90 exciting minutes in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, Manchester City and Real Madrid revealed how far elite European football has progressed in recent years, and how much it has been able to entertain fans.
It is not only due to the excitement in the eventful match, despite the fact that it witnessed 7 goals that led to a 4-3 victory for City, nor that Real kept the competition alive by reducing the two-goal difference 3 times, but to the quality of the performance of the two teams in their match yesterday at the Etihad Stadium.
Gone are the days when matches in the final rounds of European championships, especially the first leg matches, were cautious, passive and tactically dependent.
These matches have become more lively in both directions of the court, making them more like basketball matches and quickly switching between defense and attack.
Summing up the match, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said: "Both teams want to attack and have quality. Football is a great spectacle."
Manchester City @Cityarabia settles the Champions League semi-final first leg with an exciting 4-3 victory over its guest Real Madrid @realmadridarab
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Benzema the savior
But it would be a mistake to view this risky performance as a show or a big result simply from a weak defence.
The difference at this level, as Real Madrid and City remind us of that, is full of exceptional talents.
There are attackers who can score goals from the least opportunity, as striker Karim Benzema proved once again with his wonderful goal that brought Real back into the atmosphere of the match, making the score 2-1.
It can be said that the French player is the most decisive player in front of the goal in modern football, which can also apply to another top scorer in the Champions League, the Polish Robert Lewandowski, the Bayern Munich striker.
De Bruyne Integral
City had started the evening with a goal after 94 seconds by Kevin De Bruyne, and it can be said that the way Pep Guardiola's side shook Real's defense early on was closely linked to the Belgium international's performance.
The summit match between Manchester City and its guest Real Madrid carried a lot of spontaneous scenes that printed the behavior of the players and coaches of the two teams
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The question then became: Is there a full-fledged midfielder who can beat De Bruyne?
The 30-year-old can finish the attack like any striker, send accurate passes from any range, dash from the midfield and lead a counter-attack, in addition to stopping the opponent's movements with a careful and thoughtful interception of the ball or a timely intervention against an opponent.
Silva and Modric
The match saw an uncompromising pace, but there were moments that clearly demonstrated the midfielder's skills of two of the most entertaining players of the match, Croatian captain Luka Modric and Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva.
The best teams in Europe benefit from the best tactical maneuvers, the latest science in the field of sports, in addition to the distinguished physical preparation.
But with Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti (Real coach), the two teams are under the leadership of a coaching duo who knows how to win the Champions League.