Manchester City have won the Champions League, but it was far from a vintage performance in the final from the Premier League champions.
Inter Milan held City for large portions of the game, and the vast attacking talent at Pep Guardiola’s disposal were unable to really make anything happen.
Erling Haaland was feeding off scraps, Bernardo Silva was doing more defensive work than attacking work, while Jack Grealish couldn’t really play his own game.
Grealish’s performance was something that Mark Schwarzer picked up on when speaking on the GegenPod, stating that he had quite a quiet game and that he was simply fouled every time he got on the ball.
Grealish has a quiet game
The pundit gave his verdict on the 27-year-old’s showing.
“I thought Bernardo Silva was outstanding, I thought Jack Grealish was a bit quiet, he got fouled every time he tried to get around his opposite number, Dumfries, who was outstanding against him,”
“When you can bring on players like Phil Foden he adds a different dimension, he can drop the shoulder and turn, and he has that explosiveness. That turn was unbelievable, it was almost jaw-dropping, but the finish didn’t match it.
“I thought all over the pitch City had the experience to get it over the line.”
Tough evening
Inter Milan really frustrated City’s attackers last night, and it was a tough evening for Grealish in particular.
Of course, the only thing that matters in the end is the result, and City are the Champions of Europe, but in the immediate aftermath of the game, it has to be said that this wasn’t City at their best.
Who cares though? Some of the best teams of all-time have had to win finals with their backs against the wall, and City are now very much in that conversation as one of the best teams in the entire history of club football.
