Champions League Classic #3: Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham

UCL CLASSICS: MANCHESTER CITY 4-3 TOTTENHAM 

Picture Above: Tottenham players, Marcos Llorente, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli running to celebrate with their fans after scoring their third goal. 

17th April 2019

Etihad Arena, Manchester, England

Pre Match:

These two teams played in the second leg of the 2018-19 Champions League quarter finals. This match would go done as one of Tottenham's most glorious matches in the Champions League in what would be as their most glorious season in the Champions League. The winner of this match would play Ajax in the semi finals and be one tie away from reaching their first Champions League final. Manchester City's last semi final appearane came in the 2015/16 season, when they unofrtunately lost 1-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid. Tottenham last quarter final appearance in the Champions League also came against Real Madrid, where they lost 5-0 on aggregate in the 2010/11 season. Tottenham took a slim 1-0 lead fromt he first leg in North London, meaning that Manchester City had some work to do at the Etihad. 

Match:

Manchester City didn't take long to tie the scores on aggregate. It only took them four minutes to find the back of Hugo Lloris's net. Raheem Sterling took the ball and thundered a shot from outside the penalty area which rippled the net to level Man City on aggregate. However, only 3 minutes later and Korean winger, Son Hueng Min picked up the ball from a deflection off City defender, Aymeric Laporte and shot a first time finsih that took a touch past Ederson before finding it's way into the Man City's goal. Another 3 minutes went by and Son completed his brace by scoring an absolute banger to strengthen Tottenham's grip on the tie. City were down but not out, as only 1 minute later, Sergio Aguero played a through ball towards Bernardo Silva and after a deflection from Danny Rose, the ball squeezed past a confused Hugo Lloris. The game was levelled at 2-2 with barely 15 minutes gone. Only 10 minutes from Silva's goal and Sterling completed his brace by scoring an easy tap in which was swirled in from a beautiful cross from Kevin De Bruyne. Not much excitement was held in the second part of the first half as Manchester City took a slim 3-2 lead into the second half woth the scores tied on aggregate. In the second half, Manchester City found themselves in front on aggregate for the first time in the tie thanks to a thumping finish from Sergio Aguero which gave City a two goal cushion. However, City's joy woudln't last long because only 18 minutes later, Fernando Llorente tucked home a close range finish from a corner. However, the Man City players contraversailly questioned the referee after a claimed handball, but after a lengthy VAR check, the goal stood and Tottenham looked as thiugh they would progress on away goals. In the 92nd minute of the game, Raheem Sterling believed to have grabbed the winner for Manchester City which would send them to the last 4 for the first time since 2016. However, after another VAR check, Sterling's goal was ruled for offside after Sergio Aguero was in an illegal position inn the build up of the goal. This meant jubilation for Tottenham as they would reach the semi finals on away goals and play Ajax. This win on aggregate for Tottenham meant that the Coys managed to qualify for their first semi finals since 1962, while City's woes in the Champions League continued. Tottenham managed to magically defeat Ajax on away goals again and set up a showdown in Madrid against fellow English side, Liverpool. However, it was a heartbreaking final for the Coys as they would lose 2-0 in their first Champions League final. 

Match Round-Up

Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham

Goals (Manchester City):            Goals (Tottenham):

R. Sterling 4', 21'                         S. Hueng Min 7', 10'

B. Silva 11'                                   F. Llorente 73'

S. Aguero 59'