Man City 4-0 Real Madrid: The forgotten moment that proved crucial in semi-final win

For a few seconds, the Etihad held its breath as one of the world’s deadliest attackers began accelerating towards the Manchester City goal.

After 30 minutes of failing to mount a serious attack and being pummelling by the world’s best side, suddenly Vinicius Junior had an opportunity to change the course of the game and the tie, and give Real Madrid genuine hope of making a mark in the Champions League semi-final.

That Los Blancos had barely laid a glove on City at this stage in the second leg was actually of little concern. Real are used to this and for the first 25 minutes at the Bernabeu last week the Spanish champions had been overwhelmed by the opposition’s passing sequences and penetration, before Vinicius had fired a thunderbolt past Ederson from distance in the blink of an eye.

The same had happened last year in both legs of the semi-final as City dominated but Madrid managed, as they habitually do in the Champions League, to find the crucial goals. Pep Guardiola said this week that he was pleased with how his side operated in last season’s double header against the 14-time European champions, and yet Carlo Ancelotti’s side somehow managed to net five times over 180 minutes, before grabbing a decisive sixth in injury-time to progress to the final.

We’ve seen the script. We know the ending. So often in the Champions League it’s been when, not if, Madrid discreetly take control of the contest.

So when Vinicius picked up the ball in the inside channel and began motoring towards Ederson’s goal, there was an understandable moment of apprehension from the City supporters. Yet as quickly as the move presented itself, it was almost immediately snuffed out by the backtracking Kyle Walker.

The City defender is well versed in suppressing the world’s brightest attackers, and at 32, still has the speed required to keep pace with any opponent. “I look after myself on and off the field, I make sure I do the work in the gym to make sure my muscles can cope with the load I put on them,” Walker said on Tuesday. “So, I don’t seem to be getting any slower and hopefully that will continue.

“It is a personal battle where you are coming up against one of the best players in the world but I have faced many over the years who have been just as good as him,” the right-back added, on the prospect of facing Vinicius.

“I take it as any other game, we have to show him a level of respect. Like [Kylian] Mbappe when I played him in the World Cup, you have to give him the respect they deserve but you are not going to say go on, ‘walk through and score’.”

It’s been quite the turnaround for Walker in such a short period of time. On 7 April, Guardiola claimed Walker didn’t fit into his current tactical set-up and yet six weeks later the England international has re-established himself as an integral part of a side who are just three wins away from completing the treble.

The second leg against Madrid always looked like the biggest barrier to City making that dream a reality, but the 4-0 win against the Champions League kings demonstrated just how in their pomp Guardiola’s side really are.

It could, however, have been all so very different, if it weren’t for Walker’s composed defending in what was another excellent display from City’s no.2.