Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
The Champions of the two best leagues in the world met in the opening game of their Champions League group, giving us all a chance to see what could be termed the best game on Earth.
No other game actually pits the winners of the best leagues against each other and with each team costing a kings ransom, involving the systematic selection and then overpayment of talent, even the subs bench would have most Clubs purring.
Teams that have Luka Modric backing up Mesut Ozil, rotating David Silva with Samir Nasri, Cristiano Ronaldo going up against Sergio Aguero. Every name resonates and cost millions!
So to the game.
A one sided affair ended with the best team winning and statistically proved incredibly in favour of Real Madrid. Possession stats, shots on goal and all round skill saw the English Champions pinned back for extensive periods of play yet, against all those odds they led at the home of the Spanish Champions until the last few minutes.
City were resilient, dogged, strong defensively and astute. New lessons learned well about how to play away in Europe against a top team. I was impressed.
There is no doubt that on this form City will qualify from their group, and also no doubt they can beat the best teams in the knockout stages.
If this were a 2 leg affair they’d be favourites and they will learn from the heartbreak of 2 late goals to improve their concentration when leading.
Not many teams will score twice at the Bernabeu, and scoring away in Europe is a skill City didn’t have last term.
Joe Hart proved he is the real deal and may be the best English keeper since Peter Shilton.
Roberto Mancini is tactically astute.
If Yaya Toure had scored City would have won in style.
This was a game where English Champions absorbed the pressure and showed why they won the league with the last kick of the season.
Frankly I fear a repeat winning of the league as City have come of age.
They lost but they learned how to win, that’s scary with such a talented team.
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve
