‘They are monsters!’: European papers hail Manchester City’s dazzling 4-0 win over Real Madrid
‘They’re monsters!’: European newspapers praise Manchester City’s staggering 4-0 win over Real Madrid…
European newspapers have hailed Manchester City as ‘monsters’ after their 4-0 hammer over Real Madrid on Wednesday night to reach the Champions League final on June 10.
After a 1-1 draw in Spain last week, the hosts took control at the Etihad, with Bernardo Silva scoring a brace in the first half to make the Premier League leaders clear.
Manuel Akanji made it 3-0 with fifteen minutes to go, before substitute Julian Alvarez finished the job in stoppage time.
The win takes Manchester City to their second Champions League final in three years, where they face Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Media outlets across the continent were eager to praise Pep Guardiola’s side for their dominant performance as they eliminated last year’s winners from the competition.
Manchester City were hailed as ‘monsters’ by the European press after dismantling Madrid 4-0
The defending champion stepped out on Wednesday after a heavy 4-0 defeat in England
Italy’s Corriere dello Sport called Manchester City ‘monsters’ after the impressive win, while Marca said Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered ‘ninety minutes of nightmare’ in Manchester
France’s L’Equipe said Man City were on their way to an impressive semi-final victory
An emotional Karim Benzema graced the cover of Spain’s AS after Real Madrid’s regrettable departure
Italy’s Corriere dello Sport led with ‘They are monsters’, praising Man City’s ‘stellar’ stars for the way they sawed off the holders.
They said the work of Pep Guardiola’s team is “deterring” Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi ahead of next month’s final.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti will not be involved in Istanbul’s final act of the season on June 10 – although he has said he does not expect to be sacked as manager of the club despite also finishing behind champions Barcelona in LaLiga.
Spain’s AS reads ‘Crying’, with Real Madrid’s capitulation bringing emotion to the face of veteran captain Karim Benzema, who could do nothing to stop home dominance at the Etihad.
They said the 4-0 result was “historic” but that Ancelotti felt it was “obvious” that Real Madrid’s president had no intention of firing him despite the scoreline gap.
Meanwhile, Marca dwelt on the “painful beating” suffered by Real Madrid, calling it a “black night” for Los Blancos – who “suffered ninety minutes of nightmare.”
They also said Belgian goalkeeper Thibault Courtois “avoided an outrageous defeat” during Man City’s dominant play, despite conceding four times in North East England.
France’s L’Equipe compared Manchester City to the Titanic, particularly praising Silva’s support in the first half for his role in ‘crushing the defending champions’.
Their notoriously harsh assessments also displeased Benzema and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, who were both given a score of three out of ten.
Bernardo Silva also earned praise when he scored twice in Man City’s demolition job
Portuguese outlet Record praised him after his influential performance as ‘Big Bernardo’
The Portuguese player’s achievement was of course also celebrated in his native country’s Record newspaper, where he was praised with the cover and the phrase ‘Big Bernardo’.
He would say: ‘It was a very special night’, while his boss Guardiola said: ‘One of the best I’ve seen in my life’.
Note that June 10 – when the final will be held in Turkey – is also Portugal Day, a national holiday in the Iberian Peninsula country.
Manchester City will be next in action on Sunday, when they will clinch the Premier League title with a win against Chelsea. Real Madrid are looking for second place in LaLiga and continue their campaign on Sunday night in 14th place Valencia.