Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has expressed unwavering confidence that his side can mount a remarkable comeback against Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16 tie, despite suffering a crushing 3-0 defeat in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
Stunning Valverde Hat-Trick Stuns City
City were left shell-shocked by a devastating first-half performance from Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, who scored a brilliant hat-trick within just 22 minutes. The Uruguayan midfielder showcased exceptional close control and finishing, capitalising on City's high-press strategy with a well-drilled move from a Thibaut Courtois goal kick for his opener.
Doku Points to Crucial Penalty Save
Doku believes the tie could have been even more daunting had goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma not saved a second-half penalty from Vinicius Junior. "I feel like from 3-0 to 4-0 is a completely different score," Doku stated. "That helped us massively. We're still confident, we trust our quality."
The Belgian international emphasised the significance of home advantage for the return leg at the Etihad Stadium next week. "We know that playing at the Etihad it is a different game. We will need our fans to help us. If they can score three goals why can't we?" he argued.
Real Madrid's Injury-Hit Victory
Real Madrid's comprehensive victory was all the more impressive given they were missing several key players, including top scorer Kylian Mbappe and England midfielder Jude Bellingham. City started strongly, creating early openings, but were repeatedly caught on the counter-attack by Valverde's clinical brilliance.
Valverde explained their tactical approach: "We'd put some emphasis on training the long ball from goal kicks. City like to press high – they go one-v-one and that meant we might have space in behind them to exploit."
Doku's Assessment of the Match
Despite the heavy scoreline, Doku did not feel the match was entirely one-sided. "It was not a bad game from us. Obviously they scored three goals but we had some chances," he reflected. "We were playing well but obviously we need to be better sometimes and concentrate more with the counter-attacks."
He acknowledged Real Madrid's efficiency: "In these types of games you need to score from the chances that we have. Otherwise, when they have a chance they score and that's what happened. They were just waiting for us to make mistakes. They are a good transition team and they scored three goals so fair play to them."
Real Madrid Captain Urges Caution
Valverde, however, insisted that Real Madrid would not be complacent ahead of the second leg. "We know we need to compete like a band of brothers, cover each other's backs – that is how you achieve great things," he said. "Ties in Manchester are always tough – we'll go there treating it as if it was 0-0."
Doku remained defiant about City's prospects, invoking the unpredictable nature of football. "It would be crazy if I said there was no chance. Everything is possible in football so we still believe," he declared. "If we score quickly it's a different game with the supporters and everything, you put them under pressure."
