Manchester City fans were singing the praises of Phil Foden once again after he made an instant impact in their Champions League quarter-final.
City found themselves being left frustrated in their attempts to break down a stubborn Atletico Madrid side in the first leg of their last-eight meeting at the Etihad. With just over 20 minutes remaining, the deadlock remained unbroken as the visitors sat back and soaked up the hosts’ pressure.
Pep Guardiola therefore chose to change things up, making a triple substitution as Foden, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus were introduced in place of Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling. And the changes paid immediate dividends.
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Just a matter of moments after being introduced, Foden made an instant impact as he played a big hand in City finally taking the lead. The academy graduate nutmegged Reinildo Mandava before laying the ball on for Kevin De Bruyne to finish past Jan Oblak and make the hosts’ dominance pay off.
Fans were left a little bit surprised when Foden was left out of the starting line-up. There was certainly no shock though at the impact he made almost immediately after coming off the bench.
Foden’s contribution ensured City made a perfect start to what is set to be a pivotal couple of weeks. Next up for them is the crucial Premier League encounter with title rivals Liverpool, before they face the Reds again a week later in the FA Cup semi-finals following the second leg against Atletico.
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