Kevin De Bruyne dismisses Real Madrid hysteria in Man City exhibition

Kevin De Bruyne didn’t have a great game at the Bernabeu. Any criticism of Pep Guardiola for replacing him for Ilkay Gundogan after 70 minutes appeared to be based on what we all know the Belgian can do, rather than what he had produced on that night.

Failing to turn up on such a big stage of course encouraged the usual weirdos to question De Bruyne, when 23 goals from his previous 23 starts outlines just how integral he has been to Manchester City’s title charge. Without him, the title would be heading to Liverpool.

From the first whistle against Newcastle, De Bruyne looked like a man determined to ensure that the poor finishing that ultimately cost City against Real Madrid would not hurt their Premier League hopes. And, as so often with the best midfielder in the game, what he wants to do he does.

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Aymeric Laporte was guilty of blasting over from a pinpoint corner in the opening minutes, and then a beautifully floated ball across to the back post ended up in the second tier rather than the top corner as Joao Cancelo lifted his head up at the wrong moment. With some dicey defending at the other end, there were problems in both boxes.

De Bruyne would not be deterred however, and it was his textbook delivery that Gundogan met on the volley that was spilled by the Newcastle goalkeeper to allow Laporte to score the second goal. He still didn’t have an assist, but he had almost single-handedly ensured City did not suffer a hangover from their Champions League exit.

City coaches would like more greediness from Jack Grealish in the final third and he has a tendency when De Bruyne is on the pitch to look for his teammate and one-time idol whenever he can. When the 30-year-old is in this kind of form though, every Blue should have that idea.

The second half followed in the same vein, with sumptuous ball after sumptuous ball carving open the Newcastle defence in ways in which nobody could have foreseen. He did finally get an assist too, with Rodri heading in at the near post from another corner.

De Bruyne was unwittingly caught up in the hysterical reactions to Wednesday, with claims that there are no leaders in the City team and that he should consider a move to rivals Liverpool. Four long days later, the former Chelsea youngster did more than anybody else on the pitch to push the side closer to a trophy that everyone in England wants to win.

With no final in Paris to save his legs for, don’t expect De Bruyne to miss another minute of the season.

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