Jack Grealish has taken public revenge on former Real Madrid midfielder Guti, who subjected him to harsh criticism after Manchester City’s first-leg Champions League draw against Los Blancos. Grealish ultimately had the last laugh as the Sky Blues went through to the final, and rubbed salt in the wounds for good measure, sparking a social media frenzy with his pointed response.
While there were elite performances all over the pitch for City, who went into this week’s return fixture with a 1-1 draw in their back pocket, Grealish was one of the best players at the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola’s side ran out 4-0 winners on the night.
That sent City through to their second Champions League final in three seasons, with the holders crashing out in humiliating fashion. Guti, who made well over 500 appearances for Real between 1995 and 2010, was seemingly still confident after the first leg.
In fact, following last week’s draw at the Bernabeu, the Spaniard passionately took aim at Guardiola, Bernardo Silva, and finally Grealish.
“The coaches have changed roles, now the bold one is [Carlo] Ancelotti and the defensive one is Guardiola,” he told El Chiringuito TV. “Manchester City have less [than Real Madrid] offensively. They used to have two full-backs who came in like lightning from the back and now they don’t.
“They put in Bernardo Silva, who is not a winger, and they lose a player there. City have Jack Grealish, who doesn’t dribble past anyone. In the Premier League he might outsmart everyone, but I haven’t seen him in the Champions League.”
Two days on from Madrid’s semi-final humbling, which Spanish media labelled a ‘historic humiliation’, Grealish seemingly felt as though revenge was a dish best served cold. Commenting on the video of Guti’s scathing rant more than a week after it first emerged on Twitter, the City star replied with a zipper-mouth emoji.
Although unclear whether Grealish was telling Guti to keep his mouth shut, or more subtly suggesting that he has no need to comment after his impressive display, either meaning symbolises a dose of humble pie for the retired Madrid legend.
With Grealish now set for the first Champions League final of his career, he was in a euphoric mood after the final whistle at the Etihad, admitting: “Just to be in this moment is so nice. I don’t think many teams can do that to Real Madrid but when we’re all together and playing, especially at home, we feel unstoppable.
“I saw a stat the other day about how many Champions League games we’ve won at home compared to away, I couldn’t believe it. When we play here in front of our fans, we feel unstoppable. Even in the league, we feel nobody can beat us. You see what we’ve done to Bayern Munich, Leipzig and tonight, it’s unbelievable.”
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