'Tactical option': Pep Guardiola announces that the substitution displeased De Bruyne and City are already counting on Bayern Munich in the first leg

Manchester City plays a leg and a half in the Champions League semi-finals. The Citizens won the first leg at the Etihad Stadium 3-0 against Bayern Munich. Erling Haaland was good at scoring a goal and assisting. Kevin De Bruyne made an ugly swipe and was substituted shortly thereafter. Although a possible injury was not the reason for the switch. “We needed new energy,” said coach Pep Guardiola.

Overhead poster to enjoy in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals. Manchester City received Bayern Munich in the first leg – final match Avant no letter. And the public benefited from their money.

The pace was immediately high at Etihad Stadium. In fifteen minutes, the Nationals came close to 1-0 for the first time. Bayern goalkeeper Sumer waited a long time to clear the ball and leave Halland in the middle. But not enough to make a 1-0 in goal. Not long after, the slightly hasty Norwegian striker kicked a great shot opportunity.

In the 27th minute, the net was scored for the first time. Rodri cut his opponent and gently hit the ball into the upper left corner with his hand. A great goal and a deserved advance for Man City, who went to the locker room with a 1-0 reward. Bayern had to recharge their batteries.

Substitute De Bruyne

The German record champion eagerly started the second half. There was no shortage of chances, but the equalizer failed to materialise.

Just after the hour mark, De Bruyne wanted to keep the ball, but he slipped and hurt his ankle (a bit). He returned to the field for a moment, but Guardiola still pulled him aside. Striker Julián Álvarez – who was called to the bench at the moment De Bruyne sprained his ankle – came on in his place. The energy the Argentine brought when he came on made the difference in the end. “Bayern came out of the dressing room aggressively and were simply stronger than us for the first twenty minutes after the break. I stepped in and turned the game around,” Guardiola said of substituting De Bruyne. “It was a purely tactical choice. We needed fresh energy. As a coach I have to make decisions. It’s the best quality for me.”

Shortly afterwards, De Bruyne saw from the bench how Upamecano made a painful mistake. His loss of the ball resulted in a 2-0 win. Haaland was not selfish and gave the assist to Bernardo Silva, who doubled the lead with a powerful header. Fifteen minutes before the end, Haaland also scored his goal. 3-0, the second leg on April 19 looks like a formality.

Pep Guardiola: “I am ten years old”

Despite the big win, coach Pep Guardiola did not want to consider himself rich yet. “To eliminate these teams, you need two good games, not one,” said the Spanish coach. Despite the result, Guardiola didn’t look comfortable with his team either. “It wasn’t comfortable at all,” he said after the match, “I’m emotionally devastated.” “I am ten years older tonight.”

Thomas Tuchel: “I fell in love with my team today”

Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said afterwards that the battle was certainly not over. “Football is football, and a home game in Germany is a home game in Germany and it won’t end until we take a shower,” Tuchel said. He took charge of Bayern Munich only last month after the shock resignation of Julian Nagelsmann. He also believed that his players should not focus too much on the result. “Because I think it’s not true. It doesn’t tell the story of this match,” said Tuchel. “We have to focus on the things we did well. We played with character, courage, right attitude and have a lot of quality. I fell in love with my team today. Even if it seemed strange after the 3-0 defeat: I really enjoyed it.