On the livestream comments, the fans watching the broadcast were clearly dissatisfied with Real Madrid's performance.
📱 @TheodoreEra ✔
What the hell? They conceded this quickly? Is this really the Madrid we know?
| ↳ 📱 @Madrid_Insider
| Reply: It feels like Madrid's players haven't fully woken up yet.
📱 @FootballLive ✔
I saw a report before the match saying Madrid's players might hold back because of the Euros and Copa América. That can't be true, right?
| ↳ 📱 @WhiteShirtFaithful
| Reply: I think it's more of a formation problem. Zidane should have played 4-3-3 today, not 4-5-1.
📱 @TacticalMadrid ✔
Madrid are playing too conservatively, and it's stopping them from showing their real strength. Asking players like Modrić, Kroos, Ødegaard, and Benzema to sit deep and defend this much feels strange.
On Real Madrid's bench, Zidane was discussing tactics with his assistant coach.
Through the first few minutes of play, Zidane had already realized the seriousness of the problem.
However, after some thought and discussion, he still did not immediately change the team's formation, choosing instead to continue mainly with the 4-5-1.
After the restart, Madrid had possession.
For Madrid's players, who were now trailing, the most urgent task was naturally to strengthen their attack.
After Modrić received the ball in the back line, he immediately passed it to Theodore.
After all, if Madrid needed a goal, Theodore was still the player they trusted most.
But Manchester City had already prepared for that.
Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and the others had been focusing their attention on Theodore from the very beginning.
The moment Theodore received the ball, Rodri and Bernardo immediately closed him down from two directions.
"Theodore receives it, and City immediately surround him," Rob Palmer called. "Rodri and Bernardo Silva are both there, and Guardiola clearly does not want Theodore to turn."
"That has been City's plan from the first minute," Terry Gibson said. "They are not waiting for Theodore to build speed. They are attacking him as soon as the ball arrives."
This time, Theodore still performed excellently.
Facing the press from two Manchester City players, he calmly used a La Croqueta and instantly escaped their pressure.
After that, Theodore strode toward Manchester City's penalty area.
City's players naturally had a deep understanding of Theodore's individual ability.
Last season, when Theodore was still playing for Aston Villa, he had delivered brilliant performances almost every time he faced Manchester City and had often relied on his own ability to break through their goal.
Now, once Theodore accelerated, several City midfielders immediately felt the pressure.
Gündoğan, Foden, and De Bruyne all sprinted toward him, forming a three-man surround with a clear purpose.
Even if they had to foul, they needed to stop Theodore's attacking run before he could reach shooting range.
Theodore did not hesitate.
He decisively sent out a through ball.
Since City had committed so many bodies to stopping him, passing was the most reasonable choice.
Bang!
This through ball fully displayed Theodore's passing ability.
The ball skimmed along the grass and arrived at Benzema's feet in an instant.
As Real Madrid's lone striker, Benzema used his body to hold off Rúben Dias the moment he received the ball.
Then, inside the box, he quickly adjusted and completed a placed shot.
Ederson reacted extremely quickly, dropping down fast to make the save.
Benzema's shot did not become a goal.
"Benzema denied by Ederson!" Rob Palmer shouted. "That was Madrid's best chance so far, created by Theodore's pass through the middle."
"Benzema does well to hold off Rúben Dias, but the finish is not quite sharp enough," Terry Gibson said. "Ederson reads it quickly and gets down well. For Madrid, that was a huge chance to equalize."
On social media, Madrid fans immediately reacted with frustration.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
That had to be 1–1. Theodore created the chance, Benzema held off Dias, but Ederson made the save.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: If Madrid lose this final, chances like that will hurt badly.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
City are throwing three players at Theodore, and he still created Madrid's best chance. Someone has to finish these passes.
The match continued.
Manchester City began consciously controlling the rhythm of the game.
They did not rush forward too aggressively, instead focusing more on patient passing around the back and in midfield.
After all, City were the side currently leading.
In the blink of an eye, the match had reached the 35th minute.
There were only ten minutes left before the end of the first half, and Madrid were still behind.
In the stands of Estádio do Dragão, tens of thousands of Madrid fans were extremely anxious.
Their cheering voices had already become hoarse, but the team on the pitch still had not found a stable attacking rhythm.
On Madrid's bench, Zidane kept shaking his head, his face tense.
According to his pre-match plan, Madrid's players should have been able to keep the score level in the first half.
Instead, they were trailing, and the shape he had chosen was making it difficult for Madrid to support Benzema quickly enough.
On the pitch, because there were too many Manchester City players surrounding Theodore, even when he received the ball, he found it difficult to supply Benzema with clean passes consistently.
On top of that, Madrid had only Benzema on the front line, isolated and alone, which meant Manchester City's defense was not under enough pressure.
Guardiola could therefore focus more attention on defending Theodore through the middle.
In the 38th minute, Modrić could no longer keep calm.
After winning the ball in midfield, he immediately sent out a diagonal pass toward Ødegaard on the right flank.
The Norwegian talent used his footwork to nutmeg Zinchenko successfully, but he did not cross directly. Instead, he continued to break forward.
In the next second, Gündoğan slammed into Ødegaard from the side.
Ødegaard instantly lost control of the ball.
Possession was lost.
Manchester City gained a counterattacking chance!
Gündoğan did not hold onto the ball for long. He quickly passed it to De Bruyne, who had pulled out wide.
In the stands of Estádio do Dragão, the Manchester City fans in sky-blue shirts immediately cheered when they saw De Bruyne receive the ball.
City's number one star displayed his exquisite technique at the crucial moment.
Bang!
With a low-driven pass, De Bruyne sent the ball straight across the face of goal.
Foden arrived in support and poked it toward goal.
The ball pierced Courtois' net!
2–0.
As the first half approached its end, Manchester City had broken through Madrid's goal again.
This was a heavy blow to Real Madrid.
In the stands, many Real Madrid fans had already fallen into silence.
They looked at the Madrid players on the pitch with disappointment and anxiety in their eyes.
Ramos and Varane lowered their heads in frustration, while Courtois stood in place with his hands on his hips, silently watching Manchester City's players celebrate.
Foden dropped to his knees for a sliding celebration, looking extremely excited, and almost every City player rushed over to surround him.
With the score at 2–0, Manchester City could already see the possibility of lifting the Champions League trophy.
"Foden scores!" Rob Palmer shouted. "Manchester City double their lead before halftime, and Real Madrid are in serious trouble in Porto."
"That is a brilliant move from City," Terry Gibson said. "Gündoğan wins the contact on Ødegaard, De Bruyne pulls wide, and instead of floating the ball into the box, he drives it low across goal. Foden attacks the space perfectly, and Madrid's center-backs are caught flat-footed."
"Two-nil to Manchester City," Rob continued. "Zidane's side look lost at the moment, and they need to find a response quickly."
On the touchline, Guardiola celebrated with a clenched fist before immediately shouting instructions at his players.
He wanted them to stay focused.
He knew Madrid still had Theodore, and with Theodore on the pitch, the match could never be considered completely safe.
But for now, City had taken firm control.
On Madrid's bench, Zidane's expression grew even darker.
The conservative approach had not protected Madrid.
Instead, it had made their attack too isolated and given Manchester City the confidence to control the tempo.
"Madrid are playing far too conservatively today," Terry Gibson said. "They have too many quality players sitting deep, and Benzema has been left alone against City's center-backs. The system is not helping Theodore either, because every time he gets the ball, City can collapse around him."
"Zidane has a major decision to make," Rob Palmer added. "Does he wait until halftime, or does he change something before this game gets away from Real Madrid?"
In the final minutes of the first half, Madrid tried to push forward, but their attacks still lacked sharpness.
Theodore dropped deeper to receive the ball several times, but City immediately surrounded him each time he turned.
Benzema fought hard up front, Ødegaard and Modrić tried to move into better passing lanes, and Kroos attempted to control the tempo, but Madrid's structure remained too cautious to truly trouble City.
When the referee finally blew for halftime, the scoreboard at Estádio do Dragão showed Manchester City 2–0 Real Madrid.
As the players walked toward the tunnel, the City fans sang loudly from the stands, while the Madrid fans could only watch in silence.
For the first time this season, Real Madrid looked genuinely shaken.
And during halftime, Zidane had to think very carefully about how to rescue the final.