On a March night 21 years ago, Pep Guardiola made what turned out to be his last appearance as a player at the Santiago Bernabeu. They had to drag him away – away, that is, from the match officials. A feisty clasico between Real Madrid and the Barcelona team Guardiola was captaining finished with outrage from the visitors at an offside decision that ruled out a potential winning goal from the Brazilian Rivaldo. Had it been allowed, Barcelona would have won 3-2.
Guardiola was 31 at the time, and, according to the referee’s report from that evening, already had the full range of gestures that now animate his work as a coach on the touchline. Referee Jose Losantos Omar wrote that, after the final whistle, Guardiola “raised his arms in disagreement about a decision, and ran 30 metres from the technical area to where the assistant referee was.”
Few people with as long an association with Barcelona as Guardiola has can enter the Bernabeu without feeling a range of emotions. Hostility towards and from Real Madrid is one, a heightened sense of motivation another.
For the current manager of Manchester City, there is a vivid mosaic of memories: The anger at the officiating of that 2-2 draw in 2001; the embarrassment, as a precocious 24-year-old, of being substituted by his coach and mentor Johan Cruyff at half-time in a Bernabeu clasico. Madrid were winning 3-0. They ended up 5-0 victors in a match still celebrated by madridistas of a certain age.
The stadium where Guardiola will patrol the technical area this evening, arms raised and whirling, urging his City to take care of their 4-3 lead from the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and to extend that lead, is much changed since his visits as a player, and since he was last there as a manager, a little over two years ago. The modernisation of the Bernabeu, making it a sleeker, more comfortable arena, is almost complete.
The new-look venue has already witnessed two extraordinary comebacks. There was Madrid’s rousing recovery, from 2-0 down in the last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain with half an hour left to play; there was the recovery, from trailing Chelsea 4-3 in the quarter-final with 10 minutes left, to take the second leg into extra time and claim a place in this semi-final. Madridistas were celebrating again at the Bernabeu on Saturday, as the Spanish league title was clinched with a 4-0 demolition of Espanyol.
Guardiola knows only too well the sound of a jubilant Bernabeu. He was on the winning side at the Bernabeu just once, part of losing Barcelona teams five times. But as a coach, he has been a master at silencing the place. Several Spanish media have been referring to ‘The Return of the Ogre of the Bernabeu’. Guardiola’s record as a visiting manager reads: nine visits and just a single defeat.
As a young Barcelona coach, he quickly became Madrid’s nemesis: Five victories and no losses in seven games at the Bernabeu between 2009 and early 2012. The night that first defined him as a global superstar of coaching was perhaps the visit that finished with a scoreline more appropriate to tennis. Madrid 2, Barcelona 6. By the end of that season, Guardiola’s Barca had won the Treble.
Two years later, Guardiola took his admired Barca to the Spanish capital for a Champions League semi-final. His press conference set the tone, stealing the thunder of his rival Jose Mourinho, and aiming a sharp rebuke at the “gossips” of Real Madrid. When he rejoined his players after the press conference, they broke into applause. The following night, Barcelona won 2-0, smoothing the path to Guardiola’s second European Cup as a manager in his third season in the role.
That was 11 years ago. A third Champions League title has been stubbornly hard to seize. In 2014, Guardiola’s Bayern Munich had the better of possession when they came to Real Madrid in the semi-final, but lost 1-0 and were heavily defeated 4-0 in the German leg. In 2020, an accomplished comeback from 1-0 down at the Bernabeu looked like a coming-of-age for City, and the 2-1 win effectively eliminated Madrid in the last 16. But they were beaten by Lyon in the next round.
On Wednesday, they are within touching distance of a second successive final. If City’s players can block out the noise, Guardiola’s tenth visit to the Bernabeu as a manager will feel like his most satisfying.
Manchester City 4, Real Madrid 3: player ratings
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MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson - 6: A couple of poor passes from the back in first half that could have been punished on another day. No chance with goals and outwitted by cheeky Benzema penalty. Reuters -
John Stones - 6: Playing out of comfort zone at right-back and had been solid enough up against the dangerous Vinicius Junior before limping off injured late in first half. Looked devastated as he headed off down tunnel. AP -
Aymeric Laporte - 5: Should have closed down Vinicius Junior before Brazilian's goal. Found himself in centre-forward’s position after 68 minutes but hit shot straight at Ederson. Blatant handball to give away penalty and allow Benzema to score from spot to make it 4-3. Reuters -
Ruben Dias - 6: Deflected Vinicius shot wide in opening 20 minutes but was relieved to see linesman flag go up when he deflected pass from same player onto own post. Important header with Benzema primed to finish just before hour. Twice nearly got on end of crosses that would have made it 5-3. AP -
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 7: Drilled shot wide of target in first half but beaten to ball by Benzema for Real’s opener soon after. Set up chance for Laporte that centre-half couldn’t finish. Did really well against pace of Rodrygo. PA -
Rodri - 8: The anchorman at the base of City’s slick midfield and bossed middle of park despite being up against Kroos and Modric. Couldn’t get track back quick enough to prevent Vinicius Junor scoring. Reuters -
Bernardo Silva - 8: Not as much impact as City’s wide players in first half but still a key part of City’s superb pace and movement going forward. Cracking finish into top corner to make it 4-2. PA -
Kevin De Bruyne - 9: Brilliant diving header inside two minutes to give City perfect start, then provided cross into box for Jesus’ goal. Was simply unplayable at times and his distribution another level to everyone on pitch, which is saying something considering the attacking talent on show. PA -
Riyad Mahrez - 8: Driving run and cracking ball into box to set-up De Bruyne’s opener but left manager Pep Guardiola going ballistic on touchline when he shot into side netting with teammates waiting for pass in middle. Hit post with glorious chance just after break and clipped another shot across face goal after mazy run. PA -
Phil Foden - 8: Caused chaos in the Real defence with his attacking runs down left. First touch let him down ahead of shot he pulled wide that would have made it 3-0. Should have scored just after half-time but saw Carvajal block his effort on line, but did make it 3-1 minutes later with simple header. PA -
Gabriel Jesus - 7: Four goals against Watford at weekend and continued his scoring streak with calm finish to make it 2-0 in blistering start from City. EPA -
SUBS: Fernandinho – (On for Stones 37’) 6: Fantastic run down right and ball into box for Foden’s goal but got done by Vinicius Junior in run-up to Real’s second goal minutes later. Younger legs than veteran midfielder’s have found Vinicius Junior’s pace a problem, in defence of veteran. Getty -
Raheem Sterling – (On for Jesus 83’) N/A. Getty -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois - 6: Helpless as defence went missing far too regularly and nothing he could do about first three goals – but caught flat-footed for fourth when Silva fired into top corner of his near post. EPA -
Dani Carvajal - 7: Allowed De Bruyne to ghost in front of him for City’s early goal. Vital clearance just before break from Mahrez cross across six-yard box and even more important block on line just after half-time from Foden after Mahrez hit post. Good ball into box that Militao failed to finish. EPA -
Eder Militao - 5: Struggled to deal with City’s movement and looked shaky at back throughout. Turned inside out by Jesus late in first half and then easily beaten by Mahrez early in second when Algerian hit post. Headed chance straight at keeper that would have made it 3-3. AP -
David Alaba - 5: Austrian defender was injury doubt before match and badly caught out for Jesus’ goal. Flicked header just wide of target on half-hour mark. Didn’t make it out for second half as gamble to play failed to pay off. AFP -
Ferland Mendy - 6: Supplied ball into box for Benzema’s goal but couldn’t handle Mahrez’s runs down his flank and endured a tough night defensively. Reuters -
Luka Modric - 7: Croatian mdifelder seemed to be missing midfield partner in crime Casemiro as Real couldn’t get ball off City for first 20 minutes. Played his way into game and hit shot just wide of target from edge of box in last 15 minutes. Reuters -
Toni Kroos - 6: Gave away clumsy foul on edge of Real box just before break and was relieved to see De Bruyne crack shot straight at wall. A lot expected of Real’s midfield before game but German struggled. EPA -
Federico Valverde - 7: Tireless workrate as always and in right place to divert cross away after Militao had been skinned by Jesus. Getty -
Rodrygo - 6: Powered shot straight at Ederson as Real started to battle back into game after disastrous start. Kept relatively under control by Zinchenko and his last contribution before being taken off was a poor pass out for goal-kick to waste good opportunity for Real. Getty -
Karim Benzema – 9: Great ball into box that Alaba headed wide in first half. Pulled Real back into game with excellent first-time finish after 33 minutes for 40th goal of season. Ice-cold nerves with Panenka finish from the spot and make it 3-3 from the most in-form striker on the planet. EPA -
Vinicius Junior - 7: Saw shot deflected wide after 18 minutes when Benzema was crying out for pass. Some Brazilian magic to make it 3-2 with a sensational dummy past Fernandinho, surging down left flank before finishing well. Getty -
SUBS: Nacho – (On for 46 Alaba’) 6: Real would have been hoping Spaniard would help shore up a leaky defensive showing but found dealing with City’s attackers as problematic as his teammates. AFP -
Eduardo Camavinga – (On for Rodrygo 70’) 6: No chance for highly-rated midfielder to make his mark. Reuters -
Dani Ceballos – (On for Rodrygo 79’) N/A. Reuters Marco Asensio – (On for Vinicius Junior 88’) N/A.
