Enough results are in and we are declaring Manchester City UCL champions this year.

On Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 4:00:16 p.m. UTC-4, FF wrote:

On Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 6:15:14 PM UTC+3, Al Kamista wrote:

On Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 5:01:16 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:

On Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 10:55:54 PM UTC+3, FF wrote:

Horrible first half. Nice goal but that's about it. Before it, City had the upper hand and Real stopped them by constant hacking which went unpunished by the refs. They should have seen at least 3 or 4 yellow cards. Shameful refereeing so far.

Second half slightly better. The ref finally remembered to show some cards. One of them to Ancelotti for his big mouth. :)
Anyway, the result seems to be more or less fitting with what both teams showed.

The result was fair in the end.

I do think Ancelotti is let off the hook a bit to easily by the media and football intelligentsia at large by being referred to benignly as a "pragmatist," whereas someone like Mounriho is criticized endlessly as too defensive and a bus-parker. RM

might play a more open game against lesser La Liga tams, but every time they play a Man City, Liverpool, or PSG, the approach is simply to surrender the ball and look for the counter, or rely on the individual brilliance of Modric, Vinicius, and Benzema
to produce some magic. It's not like Madrid don't possess the personnel to take the game to the opposition.

They did have a very good period at begin of the second half when they did exactly that. I was even thinking that they start to look more technical than City. Unfortunately for them, with no results and it ended badly. Ancelotti is a pragmatist for a

reason. :)

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What a beauty of a game. I don't think I have seen such near-perfect football in years.
And it has to be said, what a contrast with the other match. That dirty rough uninspired italian affair.

Of course, there's still a half to be played, and Real are known for turning things around, right ? But the way City have been playing, barring a complete fall from grace, I think this time it won't happen. I hope we see them in the final, and I'm only
saying this for their style of play. Real hasn't been bad either, but City is on a different level.

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FF wrote:

Of course, there's still a half to be played, and Real are known for
turning things around, right ? But the way City have been playing,
barring a complete fall from grace, I think this time it won't
happen. I hope we see them in the final, and I'm only saying this for
their style of play. Real hasn't been bad either, but City is on a
different level.

Yeah, it was almost men against boys tonight...

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On Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:54:12 PM UTC+3, FF wrote:

What a beauty of a game. I don't think I have seen such near-perfect football in years.
And it has to be said, what a contrast with the other match. That dirty rough uninspired italian affair.

Of course, there's still a half to be played, and Real are known for turning things around, right ? But the way City have been playing, barring a complete fall from grace, I think this time it won't happen. I hope we see them in the final, and I'm only

saying this for their style of play. Real hasn't been bad either, but City is on a different level.

And it didn't. Second half not nearly as intense as the first one, City didn't need to press on and calmed the game, but they still got 2 more. Real thoroughly dismantled this time.

I'd say, based on what I saw these days, I really don't think Inter are even on Real's level. It should be City this time.

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