After Manchester City drew 1-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, Thierry Henry said Kevin De Bruyne was not at his best.
The £54 million (Guardian) man’s emphatic equaliser has given City a huge advantage ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Thierry Henry firmly believes that as decisive as Kevin De Bruyne was for Manchester City against Real Madrid, he was far from his best.
What Henry said about De Bruyne display as Manchester City drew to Real Madrid
The 31-year-old was lauded by Gary Lineker right after his goal, as the midfield maestro proved once again that he thrives at the biggest stage.
In a game where Pep Guardiola’s side looked out of ideas and jaded after their fixture pile-up, the Sky Blues legend produced a moment of magic that only the greats of the game are capable of.
After Manchester City left the Santiago Bernabéu with a 1-1 draw, Thierry Henry still commented on how Kevin De Bruyne was not at his decisive peak on the night.
“He showed up today. I don’t think he had a great game. But he had an important goal. This is why I mention about most valuable player and most important player, and this is why I think he’s still the most important player in this team”, he said on CBS Sports Golazo.
MCN View: Thierry Henry is spot on
Many might disagree with Thierry Henry, as Kevin De Bruyne came up trumps for Manchester City against Real Madrid in style.
However, as an all-round display, De Bruyne was not at the races, with his delivery not being typically pinpoint, his ball-carrying not being as decisive as it is and his passing also perhaps not at its best.
But Henry raised a crucial point about the Belgian’s performance, which is that ultimately, when his side needed him the most, he turned up.
Often, such high-profile Champions League affairs are decided by the big moments, and not overall displays as such games tend to be very tight-knit contests.
However, it is players like De Bruyne that step up during crunch time that tend to separate themselves from the rest.
