After seeing off a determined and dogged Atletico Madrid, Manchester City are into the Champions League semi-finals for the third time. The Blues are joined in the semi-finals by Liverpool, who got through following an entertaining 3-3 draw with Benfica at Anfield. Liverpool won the tie 6-4 on aggregate.
In the latest odds to win the 2022 Champions League, Man City and Liverpool are joint favourites with Betfair at 6/5.
City see off determined Atletico to book semi-final spot
Well, it might not have been the most entertaining match free flowing football wise - but Manchester City's visit to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to take on Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid certainly didn't lack drama. That's for sure.
Quite how the match ended 0-0, I will never know. Similar to Chelsea the previous night, Atletico will be kicking themselves the following morning. The Spaniards created enough chances in the second half to have won the tie outright on the night.
Similar to Chelsea - again, they can look at certain elements of their performance, and think, this is where we let ourselves down. Where Atletico difffer from Tuchel's side, is that as well as being the better side on the night and missing all the all important chances, Simeone's side play in his style, and are masters of the dark arts.
In England the Spaniards have been - rightly, in my view - criticised for their antics. How can they not be criticised for those disgraceful scenes.
The only thing I can say in their defence though, is that when Phil Foden was taken down by Felipe, who shouldn't even have still being on the pitch at this point, the young Englishman was wrong to roll back onto the pitch. That doesn't excuse the behaviour of fellow Atletico headcase, Stefan Savic, whose reaction ignited the mass brawl that followed. And how the Montenegrin didn't not also see red is a mystery!
Ateletico; A Team that plays in the style of their Manager
Unfortunately playing in the manager's style was also Atletico's undoing. Yes, they've got his fighting attributes. But they've also got no filter, and they seem to have Simeone's emotional attributes. They don't know where to draw the line, and they can't control their emotions. And ultimately, this is what cost them the tie.
The phrase 'shot with their own gun' springs to mind about Atletico. I have no doubt similar things would have happened had Atletico being the team 1-0 at that stage of the tie. They would have killed the match off by any means.
Foden may have been wrong rolling back onto the pitch. But be in no doubt - it would have been reciprocated had the boot been on the other foot! Maybe Foden's actions is what has been missing from English footballers for too long. We have spent years criticising Italians and Europeans in general for this.
Some call it cheating, while others will call it a winning mentality. It looks like Man City have it, whatever it is.