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Manchester City coach Josep Guardiola returns to a moment with Kevin de Bruyne

Manchester City played perhaps the best football of the season in the first half of the second game against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The team of coach Josep Guardiola went to rest with a 2-0 lead and therefore started the second half with a comfortable margin. But soon after the break a striking moment occurred: Kevin de Bruyne had had it with his trainer.

De Bruyne also played an important role in the first 45 minutes of the return against Real Madrid. Manchester City opened excellently and got two serious chances at 1-0 through Erling Haaland, but both times Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois got in the way. However, the goalie had no chance against a bet by Bernardo Silva, which was beautifully cleared by De Bruyne. Silva also made it 2-0 in the first half, so that Manchester City was already with one and a half legs in the final after 45 minutes.

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In the second half it was to be seen whether Guardiola’s team had learned its lessons from the confrontation with Real Madrid last season. Then Manchester City was also well on its way to the final, but gave it a two-goal lead in the final phase. Guardiola was wary of another Madrid comeback and hoped his players would play with their minds after the break. They eventually did, but that seemed to require a discussion between Guardiola and De Bruyne.

De Bruyne lost the ball after a few minutes of play in the second half and then got on his roof from Guardiola. However, the Belgian playmaker was not pleased with that and he let it be known. Guardiola came back afterwards. “At 2-0 we rushed a lot. Immediately after the break, Ilkay Gündogan lost the ball, Kevin made three unnecessary transitions and we rushed too much when we had to do the opposite. Drop the ball and spin it, drop it and spin it,” the coach was quoted as saying Movistar. “But that’s normal. It’s getting close, you hurry. It cost us more, although overall we played an exceptional game.”

After his assist for Silva’s opening goal, De Bruyne also had a share in the 3-0. A free kick from the Belgian was eventually promoted to goal via Manuel Akanji and Real Madrid defender Eder Militão. With that, the match and the diptych between Manchester City and Real Madrid were finally decided.

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