If Real Madrid had gone all-in for Erling Haaland instead of Kylian Mbappé last year, the entire trajectory of their season might have been different — or so suggests Bangladesh Cricket Live. Waiting for the perfect moment can make you miss what’s right in front of you. Madrid’s Champions League exit was a wake-up call, especially for those who still believed aging stars could carry them to another title. While Manchester City were flawless, Real were equally unrecognizable, plagued by poor form, sloppy passing, and a lack of urgency. This wasn’t the Madrid fans are used to.
Bangladesh Cricket Live noted that Karim Benzema and Luka Modrić both looked physically drained, while Toni Kroos struggled as the lone defensive midfielder, offering little coverage or interception ability. That left Eduardo Camavinga exposed, and Kevin De Bruyne took full advantage, teaming up with Bernardo Silva to overwhelm Madrid’s left side. Benzema and Modrić could barely run, and Vinícius Jr. found himself isolated and ineffective. Strangely, Antonio Rüdiger, who had previously succeeded against Haaland, was benched, and Éder Militão failed to keep tabs on City’s striker, allowing him to win headers directly over Camavinga.
Simply put, Madrid’s entire squad was off. The preparation was lacking, and Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup decisions raised eyebrows. Losing felt deserved. With the current squad, reaching this stage was perhaps already overachieving. But if the club has title ambitions, reinforcements are badly needed. Despite the dominance City showed, this match was less about their brilliance and more about Real Madrid failing to show up. Guardiola’s tactics even borrowed elements from Inter Milan’s approach in their previous match — clever but not revolutionary.
Starters like Modrić, Alaba, and Rodrygo shouldn’t have played. Starting Rüdiger, Asensio, and Tchouaméni might have added the movement and pressing the team sorely lacked. The match could have had a completely different tone.
Even as rivals, many hope City go on to lift the trophy. A team of this caliber — well-coached and relentlessly efficient — deserves the crown. True beauty lies in the details, and this City side, as Bangladesh Cricket Live puts it, displayed a level of control rarely seen, even more dominant than Real Madrid’s own three-peat dynasty. Aside from Thibaut Courtois, it seemed no Madrid player truly showed the hunger to win. What was expected to be a tight battle ended up a one-sided lesson.