Manchester City out of the Champions League with a whimper as Bale helps Real set up another all-Madrid final against Atletico
REAL MADRID 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY (agg: 1-0) -AT SANTIAGO BERNABEU: It was a strange, sleepwalking exit from the Champions League for Manchester City. Much like the strange, sleepwalking conclusion to the season. Do City want to be in this competition next year? They are not approaching the Premier League with any real commitment to it, jogging along in fourth place, just doing enough in some games to remain ahead of the chasing pack, in others, allowing themselves to be reeled in - as happened at Southampton last week. And it was the same here. An hour passed without City ever demonstrating the energy needed to make Real Madrid feel threatened. Only when Raheem Sterling and Kelechi Iheanacho come on - the second with 20 minutes left - did City look as if they were ready to make the opposition sweat.
MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas 7.5; Carvajal 7, Pepe 7.5, Ramos 8, Marcelo 7; Modric 8 (Kovacic 88 mins), Kroos 7, Isco 7.5 (Rodriguez 68, 6); Bale 8, Ronaldo 7.5, Jese 7.5 (Vasquez 56, 6)
Subs not used: Casilla, Varane, Danilo, Mayoral
Booked: Lucas
Goal: Fernando (og) 20
Manager: Zidane 7.5
Goal: Bale
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart 7; Sagna 6, Kompany (Mangala 10, 5.5), Otamendi 6.5, Clichy 6.5; Fernando 6.5, Fernandinho 6.5; Navas 6 (Iheanacho 69, 6), Toure 5.5 (sterling 61, 6), De Bruyne 6; Aguero 6
Subs not used: Caballero, Kolarov, Delph, Bony
Booked: De Bruyne, Fernando, Otamendi
Manager: Pellegrini 6
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia) 6
Attendance: 76,000
Ratings by MARTIN KEOWN
SUPER STAT
14 — Real Madrid reached their 14th final of the European Cup/Champions League, a record for the competition. They have only lost three.
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