Phil Foden created a superb long-range shot in the 3-3 draw between Real Madrid and Man City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League first leg.

A few days before Real Madrid’s match against Man City in the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Champions League first leg at the Bernabeu, El Pais newspaper published an article with the title “Guardiola invents a miniature version of Messi”. 24 Hours before kick-off, AS newspaper also pointed out the biggest threat to the Spanish Royal team.

The main character mentioned by Spanish newspapers is Foden.

Foden’s value

Every time Pep Guardiola’s team encounters Real Madrid, fans mention Barcelona and the “monster” created by Catalan strategist Lionel Messi. A super striker of world football. The goalscorer cannot be stopped. The nightmare of “Los Blancos”.

Pep’s Man City currently does not have Messi in the squad, but the way El Pais describes it, the former Barcelona captain invented a “miniature version of Messi”, disguised as Foden, who is do everything for Man City. The English midfielder scored, dribbled, organized, pulled the club back from the abyss, created a turning point… Isn’t that what the famous Messi created for Barcelona in his heyday?

Foden is Pep Guardiola’s precious gem.

Like Messi – a product of Barcelona’s La Masia training facility, Foden was born in Manchester and grew up at the club’s academy. Next month, the English midfielder turns 24 and has a bright future ahead. More importantly, Pep Guardiola is still at Etihad, a great teacher who can help raise the level of English midfielders.

Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium early in the morning of April 10 (Hanoi time), Man City faced many difficulties against the host. They were led 1-2. But when “The Cityzens” fell into trouble, they had Foden. The swing of his leg that put the ball out of reach of goalkeeper Lunin shook not only Bernabeu but also Europe.

Just a month ago, at the same distance, Foden defeated Andre Onana with a super long shot in the Manchester derby. That goal brought Man City back into the match. A turning point was created, which then helped the club come back to win.

Foden’s swing to equalize 2-2 against Real Madrid pulled Man City back into the game. The English midfielder is really dangerous. AS newspaper was right to consider Foden the biggest threat to “Los Blancos”, instead of Erling Haaland – who failed in this match.

Consecutive goals create player value. Performances in big matches confirm star status. Foden has it all. Thunderous shots from outside the restricted area are becoming the British midfielder’s own brand.

To date, Foden has 6 goals from outside the penalty area in all competitions, more than any other Premier League player. The 23-year-old midfielder also owns 22 goals on all fronts, a statistic that surprised everyone. Even in the season with the most goals, 2020/21, the Foggy midfielder only pocketed 16 goals.

Foden’s season

A year ago, Foden only played 4 minutes in both legs of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. “The Cityzens” won a great treble afterward, but the 23-year-old midfielder’s role was not so prominent. Haaland occupies the main role on the big stage.

As for the 2023/24 season, Foden continues to shine. He overshadowed not only Erling Haaland, but also Jude Bellingham – a player who is also roaming the field with incredible performances. At the Bernabeu, Foden restarted the race for the Golden Ball and there, the 23-year-old midfielder made a spectacular breakthrough.

“Foden lit up the Bernabeu with one of his greatest goals”, Pep Guardiola exclaimed after the match.

Foden scores points in the race for Ballon d’Or.

Shining brightly in Madrid, Foden edited his resume. He is now a world-class player. A talented face with many special qualities, the factors that make Foden different from other colleagues.

For example, Kylian Mbappe and Haaland are goalscoring experts. Jamal Musiala plays the role of a creative master in gameplay. Bellingham is very dangerous in situations that suddenly appear in the penalty area.

As for Foden, he can be proud of his ability to cover every aspect of the game. A versatile player who can play on the wing, center and even striker. In the football world over the past decade, very few people have been able to do that, except Messi.

For Man City, they failed to recruit an Argentine superstar in the past, but in return, Pep with the brain of a genius is creating a “miniature Messi” himself. And that product is called Foden!