Real Madrid secured their place in the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League after beating Manchester City on penalties. They may have defended for 120 minutes, but they were as organised off the ball as Pep Guardiola's team was on the ball.
Check Out: Reaction: Xavi & Barcelona Should Be Ashamed!
City had the ball on the string. From right to left and from left to right, Guardiola's charges moved the ball around in expert fashion as they looked for opportunities. In some ways, the scale of their dominance, even when analysing the numbers later, made the competition's most successful club look like a "small" team. They had 33 attempts at goal, nine of which were on target, and attempted a staggering 920 passes. Real attempted 457 and finished the match with only 32% possession. Judging by these statistics, one could argue that it should be Guardiola and his players preparing for a semi-final tie against Bayern Munich later this month – but football can be played and won in different ways.
