Under the reign of Charles III as under the scepter of Elizabeth II, England remains England, land of majesty, little world, seat of Mars, home of Manchester City, which is still Manchester City, Guardiola’s bench, the Guardiola of all life. The same coach as always, obsessed with dominating his rivals through possession of the ball, as close as possible to the opponent’s goal. It cannot be otherwise when the vast majority of rivals, like Leeds, do nothing but shamelessly retreat when they step on the same pitch as City.
2
Ederson Moraes, Manuel Akanji, Aké (Walker, min. 54), Laporte, Gündogan (Rodrigo, min. 93), De Bruyne, Julián Álvarez (Bernardo Silva, min. 87), Rico Lewis, Foden, Erling Braut Haaland and Mahrez
1
Joel, Wöber, Rasmus Nissen Kristensen, Júnior Firpo, Luke Ayling, Jack Harrison (Crysencio Summerville, min. 65), Marc Roca (Sam Greenwood, min. 58), Weston McKennie, Forshaw (Pascal Struijk, min. 80), Degnand Wilfried Gnonto and Bamford (Brenden Aaronson, min. 80)
goals 1-0 min. 18: Gundogan. 2-0 min. 27: Gundogan. 2-1 min. 84: Rodrigo.
Referee Andy Madley
Yellow cards Degnand Wilfried Gnonto (min. 46), Rodrigo (min. 71) and Weston McKennie (min. 92)
As much as in Spain the visionaries clinging to the arcane of the big data who now point to a conservative regression in City, a kind of dark strategy to let themselves be dominated, taking advantage of the fact that Haaland is a tank, determined that Haaland is not a tank, nor is his art to run the 100 meters but to move like lightning in a shoe box That is the key: the unchecking in reduced spaces, the exchanges, the treadmill of endless movements that unsettle the most hermetic defenses. Zagas like that of Leeds United, who went to the Etihad this Saturday to park a double-decker bus in their penalty area, and before half an hour they suffered a 2-0 loss and a rain of very clear chances. Bad news for Madrid, which is waiting for City at the Bernabéu next Tuesday to start the Champions League semifinal.
Sam Allardyce hasn’t changed his nature under the new regime either. He is still the same English coach, good-natured, paternalistic, and fossilized in the remote past. The Leeds coach led his team according to outdated parameters since Guardiola revolutionized this game. His footballers, pocketed around the goalkeeper, Joel Robles, began by losing their marks in the whirlwind of movements and ended up withdrawing to the posts because they could not find better spatial references. They gave up so much ground that they freed up City’s wingers and midfield, ruled by the subtle Gündogan. Around the 24th minute, City added two identical goals: openings by De Bruyne and Haaland, passes by Mahrez and shots by Gundogan from the balcony of the area.
“Today we cannot afford to make mistakes!” Gundogan shouted, with all the force that his sparrow voice allowed him. The captain led the harangue in the group that he formed with his colleagues before the game. What followed was a master class in precision and management. He sent and passed the ball at the same time and around him, and with the collaboration of McKennie and Allardyce, even the messy ones were ordered. The distracted Akanji looked applied, the heavy De Bruyne looked dynamic, and the rookie Lewis looked expert.
De Bruyne returned from his mysterious week-long absence as if he had never been injured. Just as suffocated as always, as conclusive as usual, alert and quick to give the most damaging passes at full speed, the Belgian was placed in the second point that Guardiola has designed for him as if he were the pilot’s seat in an airplane. From there he took command of the attack. He helped him Julián Álvarez, whom Guardiola has transformed into fake ruffle. Only Haaland and the center-backs held a more or less static position in City’s framework. Others can be identified as fakedeceitful to continuous or part time, always exchanging positions.
City made the game what they wanted. Even with the rotations of Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Días, three fundamental players in the team’s operation. Haaland’s chances multiplied with a lack of success. A couple of sticks, a couple of stumbles, a good save by Robles, left the Norwegian blank after adding 35 goals in the Premier, on the last day. The collection of unchecks in depth without spaces was an anthology: for history. After minute 80, Foden caused a penalty. The news was that Haaland did not strive to continue breaking records: he gave the ball to Gündogan. Let’s see if he converted a hat trick.
Guardiola: “Erling has to take the penalty, but…”
“Erling, you have to shoot!” Guardiola yelled at him from the sidelines, more concerned with closing the game than with sentimental issues. Guardiola did not notice that the best news of the day was discovering that an egomaniac like Haaland represses himself to make friends with his teammates. Great teams are built with gestures like Haaland’s. “Erling”, explained the coach, “is the best shooter on the team and it is he who should take the penalties; but his gesture shows the kind of person he is. He is not the only one who thinks about scoring goals. He thinks of his teammates, he thinks of the team.
Gundogan ran into Robles’ glove, who deflected the ball to the post. On the next play, after a goal kick and a couple of rebounds, Akanji allowed himself to be outwitted by Rodrigo and the Spaniard made it 2-1. Guardiola grabbed his head. Concern spread at the Etihad: a draw could return Arsenal to the lead if they beat Newcastle this Sunday. It was not so. The victory consolidates the growth of City just in time, when May begins to warm the Island and jasmine blooms in Chamartín, an inexorable sign of the Champions League semifinals.
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