Kevin De Bruyne's hat-trick goal at Wolves may have been unstoppable from the moment it left his weaker foot but it did bring to an end an astonishing sequence for the Belgian superstar. That strike was his first in 10 that hadn't given Manchester City the lead in a game.
Man City can show Real Madrid what they've changed since timid 2016 defeat
26.04.2022 - 15:09 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Six years ago Manchester City found themselves facing then 10-times Champions League winners Real Madrid in a first ever semi-final in the competition for the club.
City had reached this stage by beating Paris St Germain 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to an outside-of-the-box strike from Kevin De Bruyne in what was the Belgian midfielder’s debut City season. This was uncharted territory for the Citizens who had only once previously reached a European semi-final — back in 1970 as City prevailed in Vienna, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup against Polish side Gornik Zabrze.
The challenge that lay ahead of then manager Manuel Pellegrini’s team was unprecedented, with the task seeming all the more mammoth in hindsight knowing this Real Madrid team not only went on to claim that season’s trophy, but also won the next two years’ editions.
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Most City fans to this day say that the club felt out of place and very much in the deep end when preparing to face the Spanish giants and that was evident in the team’s nervous and apprehensive displays in both games.
In the April home leg, City were reluctant to come out and attack Madrid, despite Los Blancos being without star player Cristiano Ronaldo. After inviting heavy pressure on their own goal, City survived via several brilliant Joe Hart saves — including an unbelievable contribution from the goalkeeper to deny Pepe.
The match finished goalless, which was a decent result for the semi-final newcomers as it ensured that Madrid left without an away goal. City knew that a score draw in the second leg would be enough to send them to a first Champions League final.
Yet when the big game came around,
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