European Leagues.

[yellowcard]

Even if City win the League now I think they will feel underwhelmed having lost this game in a competition that has become their holy grail. Even morseo with the manner of the defeat and when you think back to the first leg they could have quite easily won that tie by 3 goals alone. However Madrid know how to win and I would give them every chance again in the final in a one off match. They have taken out the 3 big oil clubs already and will have absolutely no inferiority complex unlike Man City who will have to continue to battle that lack of tradition. Every year that City fail to win the competition creates another mental scar but they will probably just throw another £200 million at it this summer and at some point will get over the line. 

[bennydorano]

Jesus people love to put the boot in when sometimes shit just happens. That game last night reminded me of Armagh v Fermanagh in the 90s in the Athletic Grounds and United v Bayern, momemtum saves or kills you sometimes. City were so utterly dominant in that game the ending was a killer for them. KDB was obviously fucked midway through the 2nd, they took Mahrez off to give someone a run and that backfired. The City team was pish in extra time,  I'd say Sterling will leave, maybe even Mahrez, they're both a bit flakey imo. City could shit the bed in the league now too, that's a huge psychological blow

[screenexile]

I'd say they'll go all in on Haaland in the summer and maybe another defensive midfielder and if so it would be hard to look past them next season again!

[laoislad]

I'd say they'll go all in on Haaland in the summer and maybe another defensive midfielder and if so it would be hard to look past them next season again!

It's inevitable they will win it at some point.

[brokencrossbar1]

I'd say they'll go all in on Haaland in the summer and maybe another defensive midfielder and if so it would be hard to look past them next season again!

It's inevitable they will win it at some point.

It's inevitable that this will be said year on year .....

[Louther]

Jesus people love to put the boot in when sometimes shit just happens. That game last night reminded me of Armagh v Fermanagh in the 90s in the Athletic Grounds and United v Bayern, momemtum saves or kills you sometimes. City were so utterly dominant in that game the ending was a killer for them. KDB was obviously fucked midway through the 2nd, they took Mahrez off to give someone a run and that backfired. The City team was pish in extra time,  I'd say Sterling will leave, maybe even Mahrez, they're both a bit flakey imo. City could shit the bed in the league now too, that's a huge psychological blow

How poor was Sterling when he came on? At one stage he beat a man, turned back to beat him again, waited and then tried to beat him again and lost it. Had amble time to put in quality cross.

Then City spent last 5 mins just hoofing aimless balls forward to no one of any particular height. No idea what they hoping? A corner or breaking ball maybe.

Cruised for 89 mins and took a blow they couldn't recover from. Could actually have been 3-1 at full time with Ederson making decent save minutes after it went 2-1.

[HiMucker]

If City win nothing  then it's an absolute flop of a season. Pep would not be very popular with the owners. Tbh I am not sure he will be after last night anyway. I dunno about tradition - Pep almost always seems to find a way to lose these big european games. They were maybe unfortunate in parts too but that doesn't mask the lack of character shown in extra time.

There are big question marks over Pep at this level.  He has underachieved with Bayern and City. City should never have allowed themselves to have been beaten by Chelsea last year.

Tradition creates belief.  How else can we explain Liverpool in 2005, 3 nil down against a far superior team.  There's no way Liverpool would have had the belief or power of will to come back from that if the club's history didn't factor in the players' minds.  Same for Man U in 1999.

Just on this bit, what about the tradition of their opposition, surely they would negate each other?

TBH I think its a fascinating topic regarding the psychology of tradition in sport. I know what BCB1 is on about, and I think it can be a huge variable in GAA. In professional sport its obviously there as well, but Im not sure to the same extent, and what games it effected and what ones were just pure luck, is hard or next to impossible to know. Man City at the top level have been round for a very short time. They will win one in the next few years Id imagine.

[imtommygunn]

The more worrying bit wouldn't be Real getting level in normal time - City had 30 minutes of extra time and just never recovered. I am not sold on the tradition thing - they got sucker punched late on. I still think they should have had that game wrapped up much earlier.

[screenexile]

The more worrying bit wouldn't be Real getting level in normal time - City had 30 minutes of extra time and just never recovered. I am not sold on the tradition thing - they got sucker punched late on. I still think they should have had that game wrapped up much earlier.

I'm of the same mind... loads of people blaming Pep for being a fraud etc. but there's only so much he can do when they step over the white line!

[NAG1]

Kyle Walker stays fit and on the pitch City win it hands down.

Pep went slightly defensive toward the end because of the loss of Walker, which brought Real onto them.

He also can't legislate for Grealish not having the desire even with him being fresh to go and stop the cross, he could easily have closed the cross down for the second. In saying that, but for Courtois studs he would have scored one of the goals of the whole tournament, those are the fine margins are the very top level.

Would have loved to have seen the top two in the EPL going for it in the final, but Real should bring a different challenge and we have seen they have the mental attitude to hang in games, whether that will be enough remains to be seen.

[J70]

Jesus people love to put the boot in when sometimes shit just happens. That game last night reminded me of Armagh v Fermanagh in the 90s in the Athletic Grounds and United v Bayern, momemtum saves or kills you sometimes. City were so utterly dominant in that game the ending was a killer for them. KDB was obviously fucked midway through the 2nd, they took Mahrez off to give someone a run and that backfired. The City team was pish in extra time,  I'd say Sterling will leave, maybe even Mahrez, they're both a bit flakey imo. City could shit the bed in the league now too, that's a huge psychological blow

The momentum thing and how it can swing is true. One team gets the adrenaline and confidence rush, the other panics, players shrink and don't know what to do and next thing a couple of goals have been scored. Think the worst I've seen was Liverpool against Crystal Palace in 2014 when Liverpool went from throwing caution to the wind, in a game they'd won, to try to make up a five or six goal difference, to "oh f**k, we're blowing it, what do we do??!!" in the space of five minutes.

[Captain Obvious]

Jesus people love to put the boot in when sometimes shit just happens. That game last night reminded me of Armagh v Fermanagh in the 90s in the Athletic Grounds and United v Bayern, momemtum saves or kills you sometimes. City were so utterly dominant in that game the ending was a killer for them. KDB was obviously fucked midway through the 2nd, they took Mahrez off to give someone a run and that backfired. The City team was pish in extra time,  I'd say Sterling will leave, maybe even Mahrez, they're both a bit flakey imo. City could shit the bed in the league now too, that's a huge psychological blow

They weren't utterly dominant though. 1st half Benzema, Vinicius had a number of chances all blasted over the bar. The latter somehow missed from 6 yards out in the second half. Prior to the City goal Real Madrid had their best period of possession in the game. Once City had their two goal aggregate lead it was a matter of game management on and off the field. They decided to try to score another and leave themselves open at the back and then unable to respond in extra time.

[Milltown Row2]

The more worrying bit wouldn't be Real getting level in normal time - City had 30 minutes of extra time and just never recovered. I am not sold on the tradition thing - they got sucker punched late on. I still think they should have had that game wrapped up much earlier.

I'm of the same mind... loads of people blaming Pep for being a fraud etc. but there's only so much he can do when they step over the white line!

They had the game won, Pep made changes accordingly and what was left on the pitch couldn't control and see out the game. The only thing Pep got wrong was not telling the players to be like Athletico for 10 minutes, slow it down and be complete dicks about it, fill out the defence and midfield and leave no one up front..

Maybe that's not in his DNA and the players that came on are more attack minded so when the other team got that momentum it was nearly impossible to hold out..

At the very least the game should have went to penalties. would like to know the stat that shows how many games are won in extra time rather than penalties

Either way they'll have to bankroll another season and thats not good news for everyone else in the PL

[brokencrossbar1]

If City win nothing  then it's an absolute flop of a season. Pep would not be very popular with the owners. Tbh I am not sure he will be after last night anyway. I dunno about tradition - Pep almost always seems to find a way to lose these big european games. They were maybe unfortunate in parts too but that doesn't mask the lack of character shown in extra time.

There are big question marks over Pep at this level.  He has underachieved with Bayern and City. City should never have allowed themselves to have been beaten by Chelsea last year.

Tradition creates belief.  How else can we explain Liverpool in 2005, 3 nil down against a far superior team.  There's no way Liverpool would have had the belief or power of will to come back from that if the club's history didn't factor in the players' minds.  Same for Man U in 1999.

Just on this bit, what about the tradition of their opposition, surely they would negate each other?

TBH I think its a fascinating topic regarding the psychology of tradition in sport. I know what BCB1 is on about, and I think it can be a huge variable in GAA. In professional sport its obviously there as well, but Im not sure to the same extent, and what games it effected and what ones were just pure luck, is hard or next to impossible to know. Man City at the top level have been round for a very short time. They will win one in the next few years Id imagine.

Soccer players are human just like everyone else. You walk through the corridors or Anfield, Old Trafford, the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu, the Allianz Arena in Bayern, the San Siro,  you're surrounded by history, by legends, you see their names on the wall, you see the pictures of the Cups being raised, the history and tradition seeps into you. This is an unquantifiable element of sport. It is more prevalent in the GAA, isn't it Tralee where there's a street would about 40 All Ireland medals on it. There'a an estate like that in Cross where every second house seems to have All Ireland medals. It's human nature to feed off that.

When the fans and the players are in synch with the club ethos anything is possible, Bill Shanklus holy Trinity of Supporters, Players and Manager. Liverpool have that now, Madrid have it now as they love Carlo, United under Fergie, Celtic under Jock Stein, very few other clubs have that. Dublin had it under Jim Gavin, Kerry under Micko, Armagh that unforgettable year in 2002 had it. Other sports have it and you could go on and on. That's the magic dust that makes sport so unpredictable and amazing

Some better than me to explain it said this about last night....

'Manchester City, like [Paris Saint-Germain], lack a mentality," Clarence Seedorf said. "Real Madrid's mentality isn't something created in a year or two, or even ten. It's about coming to a club where you know you're part of something much greater than yourself."

[trileacman]

Jesus Christ lads will you come off all this shite talk of mentality and bs. No one gave  real a chance going into any of the last 3 rounds because we're fed the sky sports/ bt horseshit that the pl is the only league in the world.

Real won because they're the better team and have better players. A few are pushing on and not fit for a flawless league run a la Liverpool or city but they're still a simply outstanding squad with talent all over the park. If they played in England jake humphries and the fanboys would be creaming over them every week.

There's a concentrated attempt to try and explain away how real won the tie (and the previous one) as if the obvious answer isn't that they simply were talented enough to match city for 180 mins and then win it in extra-time.