Razeen Gutta
I-Liverpool ne-Manchester City badlulele kowandulela owamanqamu owe-UEFA Champions ngemuva komunye umzuliswano wokuzijabulisa.
Ama-Reds asefinyelele kowandulela owamanqamu amahlandla angu-20 e-Europe sekuhlanganiswe nokunqoba i-Benfica ngamagoli ayisithupha kwamane ngemuva komdlalo e-Anfield izolo ebusuku.
I-Manchester City ngakolunye uhlangothi ilwe kanzima ukuze idlale ngokulingana ngakho-ke igoli likaKevin De Bruyne emlenzeni wokuqala e-Etihad lanele ukuxazulula umdlalo owonakaliswe inkundla engekho esimeni ngemizuzu yokugcina.
I-Atletico ishintshele ohlelweni lomdlalo wokuhlasela endaweni yesithathu yokugcina kulo mqhudelwano wasebusuku, kodwa abafana bakaPep Guardiola babambelele kulo mdlalo obuvutha amalangabi lapho uFelipé ekhishwe ngenxa yezivakashi.
Umdlali we-Atletico uStefan Savić ubesenkabeni yesiphithiphithi ngemuva kokuzama ukudonsa uPhil Foden ngaphandle kwenkundla ngesikhathi kufakwa inselelo yokukhishwa kukaFelipé. Lokhu kuholele ekutheni kusuke uthuthuva lapho uSavić ebonakale eshaya uRaheem Sterling ngaphambi kokudonsa izinwele zikaJack Grealish. Ngokumangalisayo abase-Montenegrin baphunyukile ngesikhathi bexoshwa.
E-Anfield, i-Liverpool ingene emlenzeni wayo wasekhaya ngamagoli amathathu kwelilodwa no-Iraima Konate wengeza egolini lakhe kusukela emlenzeni wokuqala zisuka nje ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni namagoli amane kwelilodwa sekuhlanganiswe wonke amaphuzu.
UGoncalo Ramos udonsele izivakashi elinye ngaphambi kokuthi uRoberto Firmino ashaye igoli elibenze bakhululeka eqenjini likaJurgen Klopp.
Izimbangi ze-Liverpool kowe-Premier League i-Manchester City bezizibambele mathupha ngesikhathi zibhekene neqembu elinolaka lase-Atletico Madrid kuMasipala wase-Wanda ngokulingana okusize ompetha bamaNgisi badlule ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni sekuhlanganiswe wonke amaphuzu.
Igoli likaKevin De Bruyne emlenzeni wokuqala e-Etihad belanele ukuxazulula inkinga yeqembu likaDiego Simeone eliphoxwe indlela umdlali wabo abedlala ngayo abamthenge kude nasekhaya.
Kuzoba amagoli amabili e-England bese kuba amabili e-Spain emiqhudelwaneni emine yokugcina yase-Europe.
I-City izobhekana ne-Real Madrid emdlalweni webhola ngemuva kokuthi i-Los Blancos ishaye i-Chelsea kuma-quarter final ngoLwesibili.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi i-Liverpool izobhekana ne-Villarreal ngemuva kokuthi ezika-Unai Emery zishaqise i-Bayern Munich kweminye imidlalo eyisishiyagalombili edlule.
Umthombo wesithombe: @NYTSports