Until it is announced, he only has one full season left on his current terms which begs the question as to why Premier League clubs are not trying to exert pressure to bring him to England. While there has been no official announcement over a contract extension, there have been some reports in Spain over it being agreed. It is no surprise that Real inserted a buyout clause of €700 million in his contract, given how highly regarded he is at the Bernabeu and how others around Europe view him. It was not a knockout blow but a warning as to what could happen next week. For half an hour it was only City, with Real on the ropes until they found Vinícius. But the team did well," said the Real Madrid manager, which seemed an understatement, perhaps with next week at the Etihad Stadium in mind.Īncelotti has one of the most potent players in the competition leading his attack. "He is a great striker in a fantastic moment. He's the type of player that can hit it as hard as he wants and gets pure contact on it."Ĭarlo Ancelotti was more focused on his team's performance than that of his star forward. "He stays inside, rather than going wide, as that is where he is most dangerous. "Special player, special goal," was the verdict of Champions League winner Rio Ferdinand. There are no recorded measurements on the hardest side-footed shots in football but Vinícius' would be up there with the most powerful. Ruben Dias' attempted block meant there was one part of the goal to aim at, which Vini found while in a full sprint. When the ball was offloaded to Vinicius, the first touch set him for a strike on goal. From under pressure, to bearing down on Ederson's goal. Eduardo Camavinga carried the ball forward after a touch from Luka Modric had beaten the City press. "The first chance they had, they scored an incredible goal," said City midfielder Rodri. City had enjoyed possession, more than 70 per cent of it, but in a couple of seconds their hard work was undone and they were behind in the tie. In the years to come when his goal is shown, it will be forgotten that it was totally against the run of play. Vinícius is an A-list leading actor standing in the way of City and the Champions League final. It is usually only seen in warm-ups or possibly Hollywood movies. The Real Madrid forward pointed to the sky, presumably reminding Walker that he tried to beat him with a Rainbow Flick, that audacious piece of skill flicking the ball from the floor to over the opponent's head. It was pure respect from the Manchester City full-back after going toe-to-toe, sprint-for-sprint, with the Brazilian and only conceding to a moment of pure beauty. I need to make sure I come against the best and I can deal with the best.Just after the final whistle at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Kyle Walker wandered over to Vinícius Júnior and broke into a laugh before the pair embraced. "If I can’t compete with these top players from Real Madrid, Paris St Germain or whoever, I shouldn’t be here. For online purchases, postage and packaging applies. Order your special souvenir edition HERE.Īvailable to purchase in most participating supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents in Manchester from May 17,2023. Packed with player features, analysis on the big game, the road to the final, a look back at City and United's previous FA Cup finals and a spotlight on Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag, it is a must for all fans as you build-up to the match. This special souvenir publication is the perfect countdown to the clash, as Blues and Reds prepare for their showdown at Wembley. History will be made on June 3 as, for the first time, Manchester City and Manchester United meet in the FA Cup final. Who are you backing to get to the final? Let us know in the comments section below And I think that's the level of respect I do have for him. I think boxers, they fight, they have a good battle and they shake hands after. "So it was kind of like 'please don’t try that again', because I don’t want to be a meme or anything. And speaking about it in Tuesday's pre-match press conference, Walker explained: "Well I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me. The pair shared an embrace which was lapped up on social media. READ MORE: Real Madrid left stranded at airport as coach fails to arrive ahead of Man City clash He then headed over to his opponent after the final whistle. The English right-back against the Brazilian winger is one of the key battles in the Champions League clash, which is 1-1 at the halfway stage heading into the second leg at the Etihad tomorrow (May 17).ĭespite Vinicius giving his side the lead at the Bernabeu, Walker handled the threat well over the course of the 90 minutes - which included snuffing out a rainbow flick skill move. Manchester City star Kyle Walker has said he hugged Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to ward him off another rainbow flick attempt.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |