IIt was the first match between Alvaro Arbeloa and Josep Guardiola. He was a new coach competing in fierce competition, and was participating in the final tournament of the Champions League for the first time. On the other hand, he is a manager who has changed the history of soccer, has won the Champions League three times, and is a manager who is in charge of the final tournament of this tournament.
From this equation of unequal approach, the Real Madrid manager emerged as the absolute winner. Despite having a huge number of absentees in the team, his side defeated Josep Guardiola’s side and head to Manchester with an impressive 3-0 lead. A scoreline that no one could overturn against Los Blancos in European competition.
Kylian Mbappe reacts in the stands after Federico Valverde scores a hat-trick against Manchester City
It looked like a difficult night for Madrid, especially after seeing Doc’s staging and gallop, but that changed radically after Valverde’s opening goal. From that moment on, Madrid won from every corner of the field. Their goalkeeper was better, their defense stronger, their midfield more reliable and their attack clearer.
Arbeloa and Guardiola’s debut match ended with the Madrid manager clearly in the lead. His team interpreted the game as best they could. Meanwhile, everything Pep tried to do to change the team’s dark night was to no avail.
No one has ever come back from 3-0.
Barcelona’s loss to Guardiola’s side at the Bernabéu further extended their poor performance in Spain since the Blaugrana’s departure as manager. They had 4 wins in 14 games against La Liga teams.
The battle has now turned into a chess game for Etihad, with all winners on Arbeloa’s list.
Guardiola faces a challenge no one has yet overcome: overturning a three-goal deficit with Madrid. Some players came close, like Dortmund and Klopp in the 2013-14 season, but Madrid overcame that fear and went on to become champions.
