Jamie Carragher reveals the only way De Bruyne can ever match Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, with Man City waiting on crucial moment
Jamie Carragher has explained exactly what Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne must do to put himself at the same level as Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard following his goal against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
City were 1-0 down in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final when Vinicius Junior sent a brilliant strike past Ederson in the 36th minute. Pep Guardiola’s side had done well up to that point but Vinicius’ goal left them stunned.
However, De Bruyne came to the rescue for City in the second half. He thundered a low drive into the bottom corner to make it 1-1, putting City in a good position for the second leg at the Etihad next week.
De Bruyne has been compared to some of the best Premier League midfielders of all time, including Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes. His record for City stands at an incredible 96 goals and 148 assists in 351 appearances, while he has helped the club to win a plethora of domestic trophies during his time in England.
However, the Belgian has never managed to help City triumph in the Champions League, which is their biggest dream.
And during an appearance on CBS Sports, Carragher revealed how De Bruyne must come up with a magical Champions League moment, potentially in the final, to match Gerrard’s stunning legacy. Gerrard put in an unbelievable performance to drag Liverpool to UCL glory in 2005, after the Reds had gone 3-0 down to AC Milan.
“If he could be the man who takes them to the Champions League, the treble, it elevates him,” Carragher said (via This Is Anfield).
“We’re not questioning his ability, but in terms of where we rank players, we always judge players in the biggest moments in the biggest tournaments.”
Gerrard has edge over De Bruyne, but Man City star is close
When asked by fellow pundit Micah Richards if De Bruyne had surpassed Gerrard, Carragher added: “Stevie’s got that Istanbul moment, that’s what I’m talking about.
“It’s one game but it’s that moment that you can’t ever take out of your mind when you think of Steven Gerrard. We still haven’t got that one moment for Kevin De Bruyne at the absolute highest level.
“This season could be the season.”
De Bruyne has been sensational for City, but as Carragher suggests, he has not quite been on top form in their biggest European matches.
The 31-year-old turned up at the Bernabeu and appeared emotional as he celebrated his goal. It is clear how much he wants to win the UCL, despite all the success he has managed in England.
This could well be De Bruyne and City’s year. After all, Guardiola has a new weapon in the form of Erling Haaland.
The striker has formed a deadly partnership with De Bruyne this term. Antonio Rudiger managed to keep Haaland quiet in the first leg, but there is still a good chance the Norway international will fire City to another UCL final in the return leg.
