Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Five things we learned as Kevin De Bruyne starred and City turned on the style

Four goals in 30 second-half minutes will have City fans believing Guardiola's revolution is for real

Manchester City turned on the style in Los Angeles (AFP)

It is just pre-season as Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane were keen to stress afterwards for their own reasons, but four goals in 30 second-half minutes will have Manchester City fans believing Pep's revolution is for real as the European champions were unceremoniously dispatched 4-1 in Los Angeles.

City even had the better of the first 45 minutes despite a goalless scoreline at the break as Keylor Navas produced fine saves from Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero as Kevin de Bruyne conducted the City orchestra majestically.

However, the floodgates opened after the break as Nicolas Otamendi fired home from close range before a lovely De Bruyne through ball got the finish it merited from Raheem Sterling.

John Stones capped a promising individual display with City's third from a De Bruyne corner, but the goals of the night were still to come as two Spanish starlets made a name for themselves with stunning strikes.

Brahim Diaz made it 4-0 with a sumptuous left-footed shot before Oscar Rodriguez gave at least something for the majority of the 93,000 in attendance to cheer when his dipping effort from 25 yards found the top corner with the last kick of the game.

1. De Bruyne as good as anything in Madrid midfield


 De Bruyne was outstanding against Real 
 (AFP)

Madrid's back-to-back Champions League wins has been built on the axis of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric dictating from the middle of the park, but there was only one midfield maestro on show in LA as De Bruyne dominated the game and cut the Madrid defence to shreds so often he should have been rewarded with more than two assists.

Given the inflated fees City have paid in recent years the £55m spent on the Belgian now seems like a bargain.

De Bruyne has the vision and technique worthy of Guardiola's great Barcelona side at their peak and with the team built around him can allow City to take the leap they need to beat the likes of Madrid when it really matters.

2. Full-backs offer City flexibility


 Walker and Danilo started on either flank 
 (AFP)

Guardiola started to put his over £120m outlay on full-backs to use with Danilo making his debut against his old side at left-back and Kyle Walker on the other flank in a 3-5-2, which offered a defensive balance often missing in Guardiola's first season and meant a rare outing for Jesus and Aguero together in attack.

The front two combined well together, whilst City's midfield three against Madrid two allowed De Bruyne the time and space he needed to pick his passes.

However, Sterling and Leroy Sane made a strong impression off the bench as City resorted to playing with two wingers showing that Guardiola will be spoilt for choice not just in terms of personnel but systems this season.

3. Madrid need quick improvement


 Zidane has work to do 
 (AFP)

Real may just be two matches into their pre-season but that have little time to shake off their off-season rust with just two more outings against Barcelona in Miami on Saturday and against the MLS All-Stars next week before they face a daunting eight-day stretch where they will face Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup and then Barca twice for the Spanish Super Cup between August 8 and 16.

In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo due to an extended break following the Confederations Cup and injuries to captain Sergio Ramos and Kroos, Zidane has chosen to start with his strongest available side against United and City and the regular starters got an hour of action after being subbed off at the break against United at the weekend.

Zidane insisted there is no reason to panic despite the size of the defeat, but with Ronaldo unlikely to return until the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Madrid need to get up to speed quickly to avoid an early season hangover to a first Champions League and La Liga double in 59 years.

4. Solid Stones


 Stones looked at home at the heart of City's back three 
 (AFP)

Now the cheapest of City's three £50m defensive signings over the past year, Stones produced a performance mixed with the composure and aggression that made him English football's golden boy at Goodison before a difficult debut campaign at City.

A towering header provoked the opener as Otamendi smashed home after the rebound after the ball rebounded off Kiko Casilla before finding the net with a neat finish from De Bruyne's intelligent cut-back as Madrid struggled to contain City's set-piece threat.

However, it was the confidence the England international showed at the other end of the field that will have pleased City supporters more as given the extra protection in a back three, Stones made a series of timely interceptions and could also step forward into midfield to build from the back without leaving his defence exposed.

5. Who needs Mbappe when you have Jesus?


 Guardiola's has a plethora of options available to him 
 (AFP)

In a case of what might have been, how would the current world record breaking chase for Kylian Mbappe look had Gabriel Jesus not broken a metatarsal week before City faced Monaco in the Champions League back in February?

Just two months into his City career, Jesus and City were flying at the time and had Monaco's Champions League run ended in the last 16, Mbappe wouldn't have been afforded the same chance to showcase his skills at the highest level.

Yet, with Jesus in this form you have to question why City are still apparently keen to rival Madrid's reported bid of up to 180m euros for the 18-year-old Frenchman.

The Brazilian is just two years Mbappe's senior and was not overawed by the prospect of facing the European champions as he danced past challenges with ease in driving at the Madrid defence at will in a first-half performance that just lacked the gold finish of a goal.