By Martyn Herman
Manchester: Manchester City marched into the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons after outclassing holders Real Madrid 4-0 for a 5-1 aggregate victory at a raucous Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
Bernardo Silva’s first-half double put City in control against the 14-time European champions and an own goal by Eder Militao after the break and a late fourth from Julian Alvarez sealed the deal for Pep Guardiola’s side as they avenged last year’s bitter semi-final loss.
With Inter Milan awaiting them in the final, City will now be huge favourites to finally deliver the trophy Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour has craved since buying the club in 2008, having lost to Chelsea two years ago.
Guardiola twice won the Champions League when manager of Barcelona, but has failed to add to that total at former club Bayern Munich or City.
City are now unbeaten in 26 home matches in the competition and that run was never in danger once Portuguese midfielder Silva whipped a shot past Thibaut Courtois in the 23rd minute and then headed his side’s second in the 37th minute.
“It’s a beautiful night for us. We knew it was going to be tough. But to beat this Madrid team 4-0 at home, it was wonderful,” Silva said pitch-side.
Bernardo Silva scored twice before half-time as Manchester City booked a second Champions League final appearance in three seasons.Credit: AP
“A wonderful feeling to be in the final again, and hopefully this time we can try and win it.
“My performance in the first game in Madrid wasn’t the one I wanted, and I wanted to try and compensate for that because I didn’t feel very good at all after the first game. And here today, I had to do better for my teammates and the fans.
The second half was almost a formality as holders Real, bidding to win the trophy for a sixth time in 10 seasons, were outplayed by a relentless City side closing in on a treble.
And there was no way back for Carlo Ancelotti’s side when Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick flicked off Militao in the 76th minute.
Pep Guardiola last won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2011.Credit: AP
Alvarez put the icing on the cake of a memorable night for City with a clinical finish after coming on as late replacement for Erling Haaland.
Meanwhile, Socceroo Riley McGree’s Premier League dreams are over for this season after Middlesbrough fell 1-0 to Coventry City in the second leg of their play-off semi-final.
The sides fought out a scoreless draw in the first leg at the weekend before Gustavo Hamer’s 57th-minute strike proved decisive on Thursday (AEST).
The result means Coventry, who haven’t been in the top flight since 2011, will face Luton Town at London’s Wembley Stadium to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Just five years ago both sides were in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football pyramid.
Luton, a club located just north of London that was last in England’s top division in 1991-92, beat Sunderland 2-0 on Tuesday to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
