RTÉ soccer analyst Kenny Cunningham believes Manchester City suffered "stage fright" at the Bernabeu - but has no doubt Atletico Madrid will have no such inferiority complex when they face city rivals Real in the Champions League final.
City went down without much of a fight on Wednesday night as Gareth Bale's deflected effort ensured there will be an all-Madrid Champions League final for the second time in three years.
Former Republic of Ireland captain Cunningham was hugely disappointed by the insipid nature of City's defeat, and said they've blown a golden chance to line up in the Milan showpiece.
“It was almost a case of stage fright, which is highly unusual when you look at the kind of experience that’s within that Man City team," Cunningham told RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland.
"You would have thought they were in a great position to actually go and win this game or at least get the goals necessary to put them through.
"This isn’t the best Real Madrid we’ve ever seen. We know the defensive weaknesses they have. They never really tested them."
"You look at he quality high up the pitch – Aguero, Toure in particular. It was probably the best position they’ll ever get in terms of getting to a Champions League final.
"There was no real intensity to their play, it lacked urgency, they didn’t win the ball back with any great desire in packs. When they won it back they were a little bit too slow with their passing and struggled to create any clearcut opportunities.
“I really gave them a chance. I looked at the game and I was thinking, ‘what’s going on here?’. I really expected them to get on the front foot. This isn’t the best Real Madrid we’ve ever seen. We know the defensive weaknesses they have. They never really tested them. Real cruised through that game almost in third gear.
“It was a really, really disappointing performance from Manchester City."
Zinedine Zidane's men now face another date with Diego Simeone's teak-tough Atleti, after they dumped out Bayern Munich on away goals.
Simeone's men are mean, hungry outfit that will be on a revenge mission after their heartbreaking loss to Real two years go, and Cunningham is backing them to etch their name on the trophy.
“I would make Atletico slight favourites [in the final] because there’ll be no inferiority complex from the players," he said.
"They know Real Madrid well and they know how to beat them. They know the type of football they don’t like to play. As technically good as the Real Madrid players are, even players of that type of ability, you’ve got to get amongst them.
"You’ve got to put them under pressure even in their half of the pitch. Atletico won’t just sit and retreat. They’ll go after Real Madrid when the opportunity presents itself.
“They’re an absolute machine. I would make them slight favourites. “
