Mahrez scores twice in England’s 2-0 win
Unprecedented. For the first time in history, Manchester City qualified for the Champions League final. Mahrez’s two goals in the 2-0 victory were more than enough to qualify the English, who had already won the first game by 2 to 1. Now City awaits the winner of the duel between Chelsea and Real Madrid, who face each other today at Stamford Bridge. The major decision of the tournament will be on May 29, at the Ataturk Olympic stadium, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Without Mbappé, out of injury, the spotlight for possible PSG classification was all in Neymar. But the Brazilian was stopped by the Guardiola team’s defensive system and failed to stand out. No wonder, the best player of the match was the Portuguese defender Rúben Dias, from City. The 23-year-old defender hit 28 of the 31 passes (90%), blocked three shots and scored an interception. Manchester have conceded just four goals in 12 games in this edition of the Champions League. On the PSG side, Argentine Di Maria was still sent off after a youth move.
Before reaching the decision, Manchester City’s best classification had been in the 2015/16 season, when they were eliminated by Real Madrid, who would become the tournament champion in that edition. In the other three attempts with Pep Guardiola, the most recent, the English fell in the quarterfinals. The team also set a record for victories in a row for an English team in European tournaments, with seven triumphs in total.
By Gustavo Castilho
