Manchester City missed a golden opportunity to make the Champions League final against the worst Real Madrid side in recent history, according to Guillem Balague. After the first leg at the Etihad ended in a 0-0 draw, Fernandos 20th-minute own goal eliminated the last Premier League side in the competition and sent Real through to a Madrid derby final. Sky Sports Spanish football expert was critical of both sides performance in the semi-final tie - and does not rate Reals chances of beating local rivals Atletico Madrid in the Milan showdown later this month. As Atletico and Real Madrid get set to meet again in the Champions League final, look back at the past meetings between the sides Balague also reflects on Manuel Pellegrinis time as City boss ahead of his summer departure...Man City could have beaten Real Madrid Gareth Bale celebrates Real Madrids winning goal against Manchester City Manchester City lost a golden opportunity to get to the Champions League final. This is the worst Real Madrid side in recent history. Last year, it was a better Real Madrid. They managed to get 22 consecutive victories the year before, and one year before that they won the Champions League. Any Real Madrid team under Jose Mourinho would also have beaten this one. Its a poor Real Madrid.In my eyes, before the game, they were the fourth-worst team in the semi-finals. There were so many problems, so many ways they could be beaten, that it felt like an organised team who could create enough danger - say by a decent Kevin de Bruyne or Sergio Aguero move - could have beaten them.Although not very often, Manchester City have shown this season that their best version can beat almost anybody. But I was wrong - Real Madrid were only the third worst side in these semi-finals. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane insists Manchester City made it difficult for his side in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie How is it possible that there are not better sides?I dont think what happened in this tie was a reflection of the Spanish league versus the English league. I feel Leicester City would have created many more problems for Real Madrid, but it certainly showed us a very poor Manchester City, who hardly had a shot on goal against the eighth-worst defence in La Liga. Work to do for Pep Manchester Citys Champions League exit showed the scale of the task facing Pep Guardiola. Real Madrid, who missed Casemiro especially in the second half, defended far too deep after scoring the goal, partly because they were scared one City goal would have knocked them out and partly because Toni Kroos could not do Casemiros job of being aggressive in pressurising and pushing the team further up. Real gave the ball to City and the result was very disappointing - no penetration, slow movement, no running of the ball, nothing. It is just a bad reflection on the Champions League this season that you get these two poor teams at this stage. How is it possible that theres not better sides? What makes it worse is the contrast between these sides and the other two in the draw. Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have got a clear idea of what they want to do, based on repetitive training sessions, interventionist coaches and blind faith from the players in their leaders on the bench. Vincent Kompany was taken off after ten minutes with a suspected groin injury Manchester City and Real Madrid base their football on very similar ideas. It is all player-based - they organise themselves with six or seven behind the ball and then when they have possession, its about individual talent and the quality of the players. Theres no organised attack and not enough team effort.Pellegrini hasnt made this side his ownWhat was worrying is that there was not even an organised defence at the end; I couldnt tell you what the style of Manchester City is, based on these two semi-finals. I dont know if they want the ball or not and I dont know how they defend. Im very confused and disappointed because I do think Manuel Pellegrini is a good coach, but it doesnt seem like he has made this side his own - it doesnt look anything like the Malaga side or the Villarreal side that made him famous. Manuel Pellegrini was unhappy with the amount of chances that his team failed to create but felt that they did not deserve to lose at the Bernabeu For me, it is a team without personality, without style and they showed it very clearly in this tie. The ones who were supposed to be the stars of the team were missing - like Aguero, De Bruyne and Yaya Toure - and were miles away from making any impact whatsoever. I disagree with Pellegrini, I dont think they deserved to draw and I think Real Madrid had more chances and created enough to go through, but this Real side are miles away from Atletico Madrid as it stands.Ronaldo is diminishing while Bales star is growingCristiano Ronaldo was obviously not 100 per cent as he admitted himself after the game, and will be better for the final of course, but his impact has been reduced this season. Even though he is still scoring in the games, you dont see so much of him. Manchester City lost a golden opportunity to get to the Champions League final. This is the worst Real Madrid side in recent history. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague But the good news is Gareth Bale has risen to the occasion right at the end of the season. Its pleasing to see and I fully agree with him that he better understands his role and what he has to do. He now knows when he has to pass, when he has to dribble, when he has to go one versus one, and so on. And that can only be good for Real Madrid - just at a time the star of Ronaldo is diminishing while Bales star is growing. Gareth Bale disagrees with Manuel Pellegrinis comments that Real Madrid were lucky to progress in the Champions League I think that is why Bale is now considering renewing his contract because he feels that Ronaldo - now his role is reducing - has been forced to let him grow. Either he has been forced or he accepts that now Bale is a star as well. Whatever the reason, it makes Bale more comfortable and having Karim Benzema makes the team more complete, but I feel its still miles away from what Atletico Madrid can offer.It will be Atleticos nightPeople may disagree with me, but I think Bayern Munich were the best of the four teams that were left in the competition. I think they are more complete in the way they defend and attack, but that is why we love football. Atletico Madrid did what they had to do and got through. Now they are, in my eyes, favourites to win it and have lost just once to Real over the last two seasons - winning five and drawing three. Real will now play local rivals Atletico in the final - but Balague thinks the latter win be favourites to lift the trophy I spoke to Koke during the season and I knew that they had in their heads the defeat against Real Madrid for two years so they put a lot of energy in returning to a final to just get rid of that bad dream. I am convinced in Milan, it will be their night. Also See: Own goal ends Citys hopes Kompany limps out of Real clash Work to do for Pep Pellegrini: Real were lucky John Collins Hawks Jersey . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. http://www.authenticbasketballshophawks.info/ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Dikembe Mutombo Hawks Jersey .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. John Collins Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. MILWAUKEE -- After struggling in April, Zach Davies has been one of the few bright spots in the starting rotation for the Milwaukee Brewers over the past two months.Things turned sour for Davies on Thursday as he gave up a season-high six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in an 8-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed three home runs, the most in his 20 starts in the majors.It just comes down to executing pitches and falling behind a lot of guys, Davies said. Its tough to put your team in a hole like I did.Davies had been 5-0 with a 2.64 ERA over his last 10 starts.He just generally wasnt sharp with most of his pitches today, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.Trayce Thompson, Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager hit home runs to lead the Dodgers offense, while Kenta Maeda (7-5) held the Brewers to one run over six innings. The Dodgers won the season series from the Brewers, five games to two.The Dodgers announced before the game that they were placing ace Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury. An MRI revealed a mild disk herniation that will not require surgery, the team announced after the game.Los Angeles acquired veteran pitcher Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.Thompson put the Dodgers in front in the second inning with a two-run homer off Davies (5-4). Grandal extended the Dodgers lead to 3-1 in the fourth with a solo blast. Seagers shot in the fifth accounted for two of the Dodgers three runs in the inning.Los Angeles added two runs in the sixth.Maeda gave up three hits, struck out six and walked two. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Brewers in Los Angeles on June 19.He has great stuff. He has like six pitches, Brewers infielder Hernan Perez said.The Brewers grabbed the lead in the first on Aaron Hills sacrifice fly.HITTING STREAKSDodgers: Seager extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a career high for the second-year player, with a first-inning single.ddddddddddddBrewers: Brauns third-inning single extended his hitting streak to 11 games.DOUBLE ERRORMaeda attempted to pick off Jonathan Villar from first base in the fifth but his throw sailed past Adrian Gonzalez. Justin Turner retrieved the ball but his throwing error allowed Villar to reach third. Maeda and Turner both were charged with errors.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: CF Joc Pederson was out of the lineup for the second consecutive day after suffering a bruised AC joint when he crashed into the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch in the eighth inning of Tuesdays game. I think well make a decision with what we do with Joc, as far as the roster, in the next day or two, manager Dave Roberts said.Brewers: RHP Taylor Jungmann, who began the season in the starting rotation before being demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs after posting a 0-4 record and an ERA of 9.15 in five starts, has been reassigned to Double-A Biloxi after a period of mental rest. Jungmann also struggled at Colorado Springs, going 1/3 with a 9.87 ERA in eight starts. He was scheduled to start for Biloxi on Thursday at Birmingham.UP NEXTDodgers: Los Angeles begins as season-high, 10-game homestand on Friday against Colorado. Kershaw had been scheduled to start. The newly acquired Norris, who last pitched on Sunday, will start in Kershaws place.Brewers: Matt Garza (1-0, 2.81), who recorded his first win of the season on Saturday, will take the mound as Milwaukee opens a three-game series at St. Louis on Friday. Garza is 4-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals. 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