‘Just madness’… Steve Nicol left utterly baffled by one thing Manchester City were doing in 3-3 draw with Real Madrid

Redaction Simon Brett with Tom Procter
Published on 2024-04-11 10:00:00

Manchester City played to a thrilling 3-3 draw with Real Madrid, with both teams showing impressive attacking prowess. City initially took the lead with a quick free-kick goal from Bernardo Silva, but Real Madrid quickly responded with two goals of their own. Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scored for City, but Real Madrid equalized each time.

Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol expressed his surprise at City’s tactic of using a high defensive line against Real Madrid. While this strategy is effective against some teams, Nicol believed it was risky against a team with the attacking quality of Real Madrid. This tactic allowed Real Madrid’s players like Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior to exploit the space behind City’s defense and create goalscoring opportunities.

Nicol criticized City’s decision-making and defensive organization, particularly on the second goal scored by Rodrygo. He questioned why City left themselves vulnerable to the pace and skill of Real Madrid’s attackers by persisting with a high defensive line. Nicol warned that City must be more cautious in the second leg if they do not have key players like Kyle Walker available, as their high-risk strategy against Real Madrid could backfire without the necessary defensive cover.

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