Man City’s Draw with Real Madrid Further Evidence of Their European Improvement

It’s perhaps a sign of how far Manchester City have come in the Champions League that there was a sense of disappointment at the final whistle that they hadn’t beaten Real Madrid. A 0-0 draw, by all accounts, is a decent result. It means they go into next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu with everything to play for, having denied Real a crucial away goal.

However, given they were the dominant side in the first half, playing with more speed and more intensity than their La Liga opponents, who were without the brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo, there will be a feeling of regret among the City players this morning. For all their determination and organisation, they failed to trouble Keylor Navas in the Madrid goal anywhere near enough.

In fact, they mustered just one shot on target, a late Kevin De Bruyne free-kick easily tipped over by Navas. When they were in the ascendency in the first period, they needed to produce more in the final third, but their usual combination play, for whatever reason, evaded them.

Ronaldo’s absence was a huge boost, and Real looked distinctly average without him. Add in a half-fit Karim Benzema, and it’s arguable that this was a wonderful opportunity for City to put themselves in the driving seat going into the return leg, one which they passed up.

That’s not to say City themselves didn’t have injury problems. Yaya Toure was missing with a thigh strain and David Silva didn’t last the first half. But without Ronaldo’s virtuosity, City genuinely looked the better side for much of the game but failed to make their mark and now face a much sterner test in a week’s time.

What a night @MCFC … Off to Madrid next week with it all still to play for. We can do this! #CMONCITY #MCFC pic.twitter.com/alkwMCgKtl

— Carl (@MCFCarl) April 27, 2016

There is a growing feeling, though, that City are wising up in …

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