Antoine Semenyo, 4 Man City Players Believe Comeback vs Real Madrid Is Possible
- Antoine Semenyo is among five Man City players confident of a comeback against Real Madrid ahead of the second-leg Round of 16 clash in the Champions League
- The 26-year-old endured a difficult debut in Europe’s elite club competition as Madrid handed City a heavy defeat
- Despite the setback, Semenyo still reached an impressive personal milestone – one that was last achieved 22 years ago
Antoine Semenyo and several of his teammates at Manchester City are refusing to give up hope of a dramatic turnaround against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
City suffered a painful 3-0 defeat in the first leg on March 11, leaving them with a daunting task ahead of the return match.
For Semenyo, the evening carried mixed emotions as his long-awaited debut in Europe’s elite club competition ended in disappointment.
Source: Getty Images
Madrid smash City on Semenyo's UCL debut
The contest began with promise for the English champions. City controlled early phases and created moments that unsettled Madrid’s defence.
That bright start, however, quickly faded when Federico Valverde produced a stunning individual display.
The Uruguayan midfielder opened the scoring after 20 minutes before adding two more goals to complete a first-half hat trick. His clinical finishing placed Madrid firmly in command and left City chasing the game for the remainder of the night.
Watch a compilation of Valverde's display vs Man City:
Madrid nearly increased their advantage in the second half when the referee pointed to the spot following a challenge by Gianluigi Donnarumma on Vinícius Júnior.
Vinicius stepped up to take the penalty but struck the ball too casually, allowing the goalkeeper to dive to his left and make the save.
City briefly believed they had found a response when Nico O'Reilly reacted quickly inside the area after pressure on Thiago.
Yet Thibaut Courtois stretched out a leg to deny the attempt and preserve Madrid’s clean sheet.
Watch Courtois' save:
Although the result proved frustrating, Semenyo still reached a remarkable personal landmark.
By appearing in the Champions League, the Black Stars forward became only the second footballer to feature in every level of the English pyramid from non-league to the top flight before stepping onto Europe’s grandest club stage.
The achievement places him alongside Steve Finnan, who accomplished the same feat with Liverpool in 2005.
For the 26-year-old, the moment represented another chapter in a remarkable journey through English football.
Source: Getty Images
Semenyo, 4 Man City stars eye comeback
Despite the heavy defeat, belief inside the City dressing room remains strong as players prepare for the decisive return leg, as cited by CityXtra.
Midfield anchor and 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri responded with confidence when asked if a comeback was possible.
"Always."
Attacking midfielder Phil Foden shared a similar view.
“Yes, of course I do…”
Semenyo himself expressed cautious optimism about the challenge ahead.
“Maybe. Yes, I do…”
Defender John Stones sounded even more certain.
“100%…”
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva remained resolute.
“Yes, always…”
Statistics platform Opta noted that the defeat matched the heaviest first leg loss in a Champions League knockout tie for City manager Pep Guardiola.
Similar setbacks occurred against Barcelona during the 2014/15 semi-finals and against Liverpool in the 2017/18 quarter-finals.
On both occasions Guardiola’s side failed to overturn the deficit. With Madrid now holding a commanding lead, City will require something extraordinary when the teams meet again on March 17.
Mysterious cat predicted Madrid's win
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that an oracle cat predicted the outcome of the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Man City.
The cat chose the bowl labelled Madrid, tipping the prediction in favour of the Spanish giants.
Source: YEN.com.gh
