A precise long pass followed, with the ball spanning 60 meters, directly from the top of the home team's penalty arc to the area just in front of Manchester City's penalty flank!
This was a long pass where Bonucci spotted Manchester City's formation in the midst of pushing forward and executed a sudden change of rhythm.
Thus, as the ball fell, both Kompany and Mandzukic, who were the last ones back, were sideways chasing the ball!
However, Mandzukic was charging forward all the way, whereas Kompany was turning and rushing backward.
Both of them stand 1.90 meters tall and weigh nearly 90 kilograms, so in terms of confrontation and impact, they are evenly matched;
Yet Mandzukic, with a bit of ferocity, managed to forcefully edge out a body's width over Kompany in that fifty-fifty duel!
"Here it comes!"
The rapidly advancing teammate Morata arrived just in time as Mandzukic's pass just bypassed in front of Ranocchia;
