Real Madrid punished for 'relying on their history' in Champions League semi-final thrashing against Man City, says Joleon Lescott

Real Madrid's inflated sense of self in the Champions League came back to bite them on Wednesday, claimed ex-Manchester City player Joleon Lescott.

Man City crush Real Madrid 4-0
No late magic for Ancelotti's men
Lescott suggests their mentality was off

WHAT HAPPENED? Real Madrid stunned Manchester City in last year's Champions League with a pair of stoppage-time goals from Rodrygo and an extra-time aggregate winner from Karim Benzema. There were no such heroics on Wednesday, however, as Real Madrid went out with a 4-0 away loss (5-1 on aggregate) in the semi-final. Lescott believes the Blancos may have expected a comeback to materialise without needing to work for it, while Manchester City carried more urgency.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Tonight you saw a team that were playing to get to get their first Champions League title versus a team who were relying on their history in the competition," Lescott told BT Sport. "Manchester City took their chance devastatingly."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Manchester City have simply been the better team this campaign in all competitions, leading the Premier League title chase as Real Madrid lag far behind Barcelona in La Liga. Their superiority was evident in the second leg in all areas of the pitch, with Pep Guardiola's tactical approach working wonders in keeping the visitors from gaining confidence.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty Images

WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID? The Spanish club's season is effectively over, as they have no chance of winning La Liga. They'll play out the string with games against Valencia, Rayo Vallecano, Sevilla and Athletic Club.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?