Real Madrid and Manchester City provided a great spectacle in the first leg of the semi-final of the Champions League on Tuesday evening, thanks to the Haaland-Rüdiger duel. The purified top teams let football fans in particular enjoy themselves and this was also noted in the Spanish press, where people were full of praise. Although people were critical of Erling Haaland.
“Haaland did not appear on the scene, he was wiped off the map”
“Over the past decade, an extraordinary rivalry has been built between Real Madrid and Manchester City, two formidable teams who respect each other for who they are,” Marca wrote on Wednesday morning. “No surprises in the lineups, a symptom of confidence. Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola face off against each other. Two behemoths could compete with each other.” The Madrid newspaper enjoyed the fight to the fullest.
A specific colossus of the Cityzens was Haaland. The Norwegian striker was feared in Spain in the run-up to the game, but was skillfully played out of the game. Most notably by Antonio Rüdiger. The medium added, “Haaland did not appear on the scene, wiped off the map by Rüdiger and Alaba. They tamed a giant. City could not find Haaland, thanks to the shadowing Rüdiger. That detail created optimism for the return.”
El País also enjoyed the battle of the giants: “This was an exclusive engine of emotions. Everything is still open after a duel in which only crumbs were distributed. When City were in power, Vinícius Júnior struck. When Real dictated, there was Kevin De Bruyne. It was a clash at the highest level, where Rüdiger also managed to tip Haaland.”
“It was Madrid’s job: to encircle Haaland and undermine spaces in front of the striker,” the paper wrote. “The Norwegian, who is destroying the Premier League, needs a straitjacket. Madrid prevented Guardiola from exhibiting his greatest painting. The cluster bombs that Haaland usually releases were nowhere to be found. He was caged by Rüdiger. There was never a final outburst after Vinicius and De Bruyne’s hits, so a poster with capital letters awaits next week.”
Rüdiger may have caused doubt in Carlo Ancelotti’s head
“Real Madrid will have to do without Bernabéu from now on,” AS knows. “However, the sports newspaper does not see it as a problem. That can also be an advantage. Real Madrid already did it in Camp Nou. It now knows how to hermetically close the road to Haaland. And if Karim Benzema pulls out his Ballon d’Or shoes, it can work flawlessly.”
The medium thinks that Rüdiger may have caused doubt in Carlo Ancelotti’s head. The Italian success coach has Eder Militao back in Manchester, but can no longer ignore the German. “Militao may have been the best defender in the world this year, but it is normal to think that the Brazilian will not start at the Etihad Stadium. Rüdiger cannot become a victim after this adventurous performance against Haaland. It raises many questions. Ancelotti is blessed and has a problem at the same time,” they added.
