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The Manchester City superstar has been involved in six semi-final goals in the last three seasons. We examine each one.
Much was made about four players before this year’s Champions League semi-final between Manchester City and Real Madrid — Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for the Cityzens and Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior for Los Blancos.
Pulse Sports threw a fifth player into the equation: Thibaut Courtois. The Real goalkeeper had been one of the LaLiga giants’ top performers in last year’s run to a 14th European crown and was producing another brilliant continental season.
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22:08 - 08.05.2023
ANALYSIS Can Courtois be Real Madrid's Haaland antidote?
Manchester City are tipped for a final berth, but the Belgian’s brilliance between the sticks could sway this year’s semi-final.
However, that all fell flat when Pep Guardiola’s men wiped the floor with Carlo Ancelotti’s troops, handing a can of whoop-ass to the competition’s most celebrated side. It all came together for Guardiola’s side at the Etihad, thrashing the Spanish side 4-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.
A brace from Bernardo Silva, a Manuel Akanji header that went in off Eder Militao and Julian Alvarez found the back of the net as Los Blancos came a cropper in Manchester.
The Portuguese’s first goal of the night was set up by De Bruyne, with another goal involvement for the Belgium playmaker at this stage of the competition.
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22:49 - 17.05.2023
I am small but good with my head — Man City hero raves after Madrid win
Portugal international talks about his team's impressive victory over Real Madrid.
The Belgian’s goal at the Santiago Bernabeu meant he had scored in three successive semis in Europe’s premier club competition, continuing a prolific streak in the tournament’s last four.
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Since the 2020-21 campaign’s last four, De Bruyne has scored or assisted six goals, more than any other City player – Riyad Mahrez had been involved in five semi-final goals in the two previous seasons but played minimally this time as Guardiola leaned on Silva.
We look at these involvements in detail.
Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 Manchester City (2020-21)
Guardiola’s team finally progressed to the semis after four seasons of quarter-finals hurt, and they faced off with Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG without fans because of the pandemic.
City fell behind to a first-half Marquinhos header and had created little on the night — apart from a Phil Foden first-half miss — before De Bruyne levelled fortuitously.
After receiving possession from Oleksandr Zinchenko...
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the Belgian crosses into the box...
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but the ball misses all three City players and beats Keylor Navas.
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Mahrez scored the game’s winning goal from a free-kick seven minutes after KDB’s 64th-minute goal to earn a victory in Paris.
The Cityzens beat PSG 2-0 in Manchester to advance to their first Champions League final where they were ultimately defeated by Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.
Man City 4-3 Real Madrid (2021-22)
Guardiola’s men began the first leg of last season’s semi-final amazingly, racing into an early two-goal lead before Karim Benzema halved the deficit in the 33rd minute.
The home side subsequently twice opened a two-goal advantage — 3-1 and 4-2 — but Vini Jr. and Benzema scored to make it 3-2 and 4-3 on the night.
It was De Bruyne who opened the scoring after 90 seconds before setting up Gabriel Jesus for the hosts’ second.
For the first goal involvement, he made a late run into the box reminiscent of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in his heyday.
When Mahrez receives Ruben Dias’s pass wide on the right, the Algerian drifts in-field with the ball between Vini Jr. and Ferland Mendy.
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Notice that it is a three-vs-three on the far side, with Eder Militao watching Jesus, Dani Carvajal the nearest to Phil Foden and Federico Valverde seemingly monitoring De Bruyne (circled), who appears disinterested.
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However, the City star makes a beeline for the box, catching Valverde out…
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Mahrez ignores Jesus (pointing)...
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and crosses for KDB to score a diving header.
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Carvajal had recognised the danger, but the right-back was late to react to the midfielder’s delayed foray into the box.
Man City 4-3 Real Madrid
The Cityzens doubled their advantage in minute 11 when De Bruyne assisted Jesus’s strike.
Carvajal was surprisingly late to close down the Belgium international’s cross...
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and the striker takes advantage of David Alaba’s missed interception…
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To finish with aplomb before Courtois narrowed the angle.
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Real Madrid 1-1 Man City (2022-23)
The first of this season’s semis saw Vini Jr. and De Bruyne score well-taken driven shots to keep the tie level after the first fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having been denied with a big right-handed Courtois save in the 52nd minute, the City playmaker levelled for the visiting side in the 67th minute.
After Rodri intercepts Eduardo Camavinga’s pass intended for Rodrygo...
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the defensive midfielder sends the ball to Jack Grealish.
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The Englishman passes to Ilkay Gundogan on the edge of the area, where he pins his touch-tight international teammate Antonio Rudiger.
He looks up, spots a free De Bruyne (notice Rodri pointing to Gundogan to suggest the German’s next pass)…
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And plays a perfectly-weighted pass that allows KDB to shoot first time before Courtois can even set himself.
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It would have taken something special to score the goalkeeper, and De Bruyne’s driven shot was just what the doctor ordered. 1-1 – semi-final in the balance.
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Man City 4-0 Real Madrid (2022-23)
Frankly, Wednesday night’s final score did not flatter Guardiola’s men. They dominated Los Blancos for most of the game and should have been ahead before Silva’s 23rd-minute goal.
Courtois denied Haaland three times on the night — the first two saves came when the game was still goalless — but could do little about the goals that put the home side in the driving seat.
KDB assisted two of City’s four goals, with the first for Silva being the pick of the pair.
When De Bruyne receives Kyle Walker’s pass in his favoured inside-right channel position…
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Toni Kroos was still nowhere near Silva to close down the Portugal international, nor was Luka Modric positioned to block the path of an easy pass…
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He slips Silva through…
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And the Portuguese deceived Courtois with a near-post finish.
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The second assist for Manuel Akanji was a bit more straightforward, with the defender getting a slight touch to KDB’s free-kick, which then went in off Militao…
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Ergo wrong-footing the Real Madrid shot-stopper.
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Manchester City found ways to falter in the quarter-finals for four straight years under Guardiola. This has changed in the last three campaigns, with the Citizens making consecutive appearances in the semis and progressing to the decider in 2021 and 2023.
Mahrez was pivotal to their success in two seasons, but De Bruyne has contributed decisive goals and assists in all three, leading to a second final appearance and a chance to claim their Holy Grail.
Inter Milan stands in their way on June 10, and the Manchester side are resounding favourites. But they must earn the right to win, something their Belgian superstar knows all about.
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06:26 - 18.05.2023
Man City vs Real Madrid: 5 things Guardiola did right to reach Champions League final
Manchester City played the perfect game at the Etihad to send Real Madrid crashing out of the Champions League.
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