Having faced Pep Guardiola’s dominant City side four times before, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad expected another high-intensity battle in their play-off clash.
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Instead, they encountered a team struggling across all competitions following a difficult autumn that derailed their Premier League title hopes.
According to Marca, Madrid’s 3-1 second-leg win came as little surprise after City’s underwhelming first-leg display at the Etihad.
The Spanish side initially braced for the usual City intensity but questioned their opponents’ hesitant approach by half-time.
They did not feel that City were the level of team that they had played in past years.