Super League MD08 #8 Real Madrid v #11 Manchester City

MD08 – [8] REAL MADRID V. [11] MANCHESTER CITY [3-1]
ALL TIME RECORD: REAL MADRID 14GM; 7W-2L-5D; 28-17 GF/GA

RMA – Karim Benzema [4] 8’
RMA – Marco Asensio [1] 61’
MCI – Riyad Mahrez [1] 78’
RMA – Toni Kroos [1] 90’+
MCI – Joao Cancelo YC 22’
MCI – Ruben Dias YC 69’

4 games into this season, Real were a hot mess, 1 unimpressive victory had been followed with 3 straight losses by a 2-8 aggregate. The results had Real flirting with the cellar of all places before a 3-2 over Dortmund became the catalyst that resurrected their season. Counting the Dortmund result, Real have 7 points from their last 3 matches, a 6-3 aggregate in that span, they currently stand 8th heading into today’s clash with City.

For City their nightmare only grows stronger, in what was being hailed as a potential banner year, City have been the biggest flop in all of SL1. They have 2 impressive wins over United, (4-1), and Liverpool, (2-0), everything else has been horrid. Another horrid result will send them to places most don’t recover from.

Real seemed determined to send them there, Karim Benzema put them up in just the 8th minute, heading one in off an early corner. Things would cool down almost immediately, with neither club getting into gear offensively afterward. 1-0 would hold through the 1st half, not a nightmare, but certainly not ideal for City.

A couple chances to equalize went off the mark and it was Real finally seizing the reins of the match with their 2nd goal, coming from Marco Asensio in the 61st, a scorcher from 12 yards, getting just beneath Ederson’s outstretched hand.

Riyad Mahrez pulled one back for City in the 78th, giving them some hope and indeed a few opportunities to equalize were there, but City could not cash in and Real caught them on a counter as time ran out, Toni Kroos getting his first goal of the year to ice the match for Real, and a 3-1 final.

The two clubs were heading in opposite directions before today and now that is all the more pronounced. Real have not lost since MD04, City have not won since MD05. Where Real settle in the new table depends on other results, but they can expect some upward movement. City may not crash out, and also depend on other results, but it won’t be pretty.

MD09: City host Atletico; Real at Tottenham

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