CR7 stardust sorely missed

IN A WEIRD SORT OF WAY, you've got to have some sympathy for Cristiano Ronaldo watching himself on video during the Man City-Real Madrid game the other night. After all, what else is a galactico to do when the fare served up is not worthy of his attention?
CR7's may have been the ultimate act of narcissism but there would have been many in the 54,000 crowd who wished his highlights package had been relayed on the big screen for it would have been the only glimpse of stardust they'd see all night.
Without him, the stepover-free occasion simply did not live up to its exalted status as a Champions League semifinal and yet again the more recalcitrant home fans would have been wondering if the competition is worth all the fuss.
More worryingly, they would have known that even after half a billion of oil money has been spent on players, City are still a tanker or two short of being "the Harlem Globetrotters of world football".
That was the boast of Garry Cook, the former CEO behind the infamous "City Project", and although they managed to live with a muted Real Madrid and still have a chance of reaching the final, they failed their audition to become one of the superclubs.
When Raheem Sterling fumbled an injury time throughball to spurn a golden chance, it was a reminder that even £50m can't guarantee a first touch these days. A winner at that stage would have been priceless but the ex-Liverpool man's reaction suggested he'd spent too long with his shisha pipe.
But it would be unfair to make Sterling the scapegoat. Some of City's bigger names – even Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne – were nonentities, and City were indebted to the heroics of Joe Hart for still being in the tie.
In mitigation, with David Silva limping off and Yaya Toure not starting, they were devoid of dynamism in midfield and unable to get either Aguero or substitute Kelechi Iheanacho in the game. But their overall lack of thrust was a reminder that their failure to beat any of the top sides in the Premier League is not a curious oddity after all.
Still, even for flat-track bullies, there was an overwhelming sense that Tuesday was a missed opportunity. Real are football royalty but they were there for the taking. Besides Ronaldo, Karim Benzema may as well have not come on while Gareth Bale flitted about to little effect.
But even against a "BBC" barely in service, a rookie manager Zinedine Zidane and with home advantage, City couldn't capitalise. You feel they'll never have a better chance. Even Wolfsburg led 2-0 after the home leg.
Now with Silva definitely out and Ronaldo probably back for the return, the odds are very much on Real progressing next week.
At least Pep Guardiola may be relieved – a City win would not only give him an awkward finale if Bayern also get through, it would be a lot for him to live up to next season. As it stands, he is likely to lose more sleep fretting about his current team than his future one.
Even with all his tactical wizardry and a powerful side at his disposal, he could not get past the immovable object that is Atletico Madrid.
Facing them in the Calderon was the shortest straw of the semifinals and even with 74% possession Bayern were unable to pierce a defence that has conceded only 16 goals in La Liga all season.
But they will be encouraged by the chances they created – two in injury time – and should prevail in front of their own fans at the Allianz Arena.
Diego Simeone will not be able to whip up the crowd next week and you feel that they will miss that "extra man" under what is sure to be a 90-minute long siege.
Atletico may be the ultimate blue-collar team but they did provide the one unforgettable moment of the two games – and one of the greatest goals the European Cup has seen.
Little known 20-year-old Saul Niguez slithered through the Bayern defence in a manner worthy of Messi himself and applied the deftest of Messiesque finishes.
In a non-vintage year, perhaps the best way a tournament can be remembered is for a genuine underdog to triumph.
And when the nearest team to the Harlem Globetrotters are missing (having fallen to Atletico in the last round), it would surely benefit the Champions League if it were to be touched with a bit of Leicester-like spirit.
Both Atletico and City are much bigger clubs than the Foxes but neither have won the tournament - the Spaniards have been runners-up twice – and if either were to upset the odds, it may be one way of putting at least a mat finish on a tournament that has all too rarely shone. Unless, of course, Ronaldo decides to apply a bit of last minute polish.