De Bruyne delivers Manchester City 1-0 lead against Atletico Madrid

De Bruyne delivers Manchester City 1-0 lead against Atletico Madrid. 

Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid: Manchester City took a slim lead into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s 70th-minute goal.

It was a result that City had to eke out against an Atletico Madrid side that had come to England to deny Pep Guardiola’s side any chances and failed to create a single attempt on target.

Diego Simeone’s side had tormented City in the first half with their deep-lying defending and dependence on only the occasional counter-attack to challenge the hosts.

City rotated the ball with their typical finesse, making it tough for Atletico to break out from their deep defensive formation while never overcommitting.

However, the Premier League winners were unable to convert their absolute possession control into clear chances, with Aymeric Laporte having one of the better chances after the break. Still, his header from a corner was the off goal.

Atletico’s rare breaks warned City that they needed to preserve their composure, albeit Marcos Llorente failed to test Ederson when the Spaniards did create an opening.

City maintained its structure and moved the ball excellently. Still, the home side needed the entrance of substitute Phil Foden to find the missing ingredient.

Foden lured three players towards him before splitting the Spanish backline with a brilliantly weighted pass to De Bruyne, who tapped past goalkeeper Jan Oblak with a side-foot finish.

De Bruyne then had space for another shot on goal, but defender Stefan Savic’s outstretched foot blocked it brilliantly.

The second leg will take place at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Wednesday. Still, City must first beat Premier League championship rivals, Liverpool, at home on Sunday.