Arsene Wenger highlights major error Jack Grealish made in Real Madrid defeat
City have fallen short in Europe once again after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid
Manchester City are left nursing yet more Champions League heartbreak after Real Madrid produced the most astonishing of a growing list of incredible comebacks.
Pep Guardiola’s side were moments away from booking a second successive final appearance, and setting up an all-English showpiece against rivals Liverpool in Paris, when Real caught them with a stunning sucker punch.
Leading 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate after Riyad Mahrez’s 73rd-minute strike in a tense semi-final second leg at the Bernabeu, City were rocked when Brazilian Rodrygo struck a quickfire double with 90 minutes on the clock.
That sent an epic tie into extra time and City never recovered from the shock, conceding again soon after when Ruben Dias felled Karim Benzema and the prolific Frenchman stepped up to convert the resulting penalty.
It meant yet another near miss for City and Guardiola after last year’s runners-up finish.
Former Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish came off the bench with City leading 1-0, and he had a shot cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy with three minutes remaining, and seconds later he saw another effort saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Wenger criticises Grealish
Following the game, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit out at Grealish for not stopping Dani Carvajal’s cross which led to Madrid’s second goal.
Working as a pundit for beIN Sports, he told the channel: “When you look at 1-1, when Grealish is against Carvajal, he is passed easily, too easily. He must absolutely fight to stop that cross.
“You do not want the ball in the box, anything can happen when everybody goes forward.
“That is where City did not secure the game, defending on the sides. Because they conceded, even when you look when Benzema gave the ball back, they didn’t really attack the ball the defenders, they made big mistakes.”
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