Do you see his legs? The amazing career of Riyad Mahrez

"Riyaaaaaad! Riyaaaaad!" After this scene, it only took a fraction of a second before Pep Guardiola jumped off his seat and then literally crossed the side line. The Catalan threw the fist twice angry back behind his head. He could hardly calm down. Not really minutes later.

• Mahrez 'obstinacy also disturbed the teammates
• The term magic fits better than with others
• Leicester-Scout Walsh discovered Mahrez by chance
• Aguero also dislikes Guardiola's reaction

Riyad Mahrez was meant unmistakably. The wing racer, who had prepared the 1-0 ingeniously, ran in the 26th minute of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the 2-0 half-right. Does he use the Kevin de Bruyne, or rather Phil Foden? The Algerian chose option C and Drosch the ball massively to the outside network.

While Guardiola turned with his anger in the circle, a few may have occurred a Mahrez sentence from 2016. "I'm not the same as before - otherwise I would not play at all," he confessed at the time.

This is exactly why Guardiola is doing this.

Alan Shearer

"He just shouldn't have going to the right corner of the right corner," it is so simple, "the English striker icon Alan Shearer struggled in the function as a BBC expert:" If he had taken his head up, he would have seen Phil Foden, the left Freestand and only would have needed to insert. For this reason, Guardiola is doing this through in this way. "

Mahrez 'obstinacy also disturbed the teammates

It was a scene that inevitably reminded of Mahrez's early days at the Skyblues: too much stubbornness. An accusation that he had to put up with in his career. Rumored to the team too. Mahrez had desperately sought his place in the Guardiola system, but did not find it. Comparable to the Jack Grialish case today.

The missed penalty shortly before the end in Liverpool in October 2018 (0-0) fit into the "Bushes, Pech and Pannen" category. Guardiola confessed to not knowing anything about Mahrez 'Mieser penalty balance. Half a year later, in the home game against West Ham (1-0), the city fans became really angry every time Mahrez lost the ball - and let him feel it too. Guardiola "redeemed" the Algerian with a change ten minutes after the break.

Relics belonging to the past. Mahrez is now considered one of the best wing strikers of the present, and he has long since found his place in PEP football. In the calendar year 2021 there was no city professional that contributed more goals (21) or more templates (13) than Mahrez. In his Algerian homeland, he is already the largest star since the glorious 80s - comparable to Sadio Mané in Senegal and Mo Salah in Egypt.

What the "Guardian" wrote after the three goals of Mahrez in the Champions League semi-final against Paris St. Germain (2: 1/2: 0) in the previous year, he could have repeated after the real game: "He is like this It's a good thing that he can expose a cat or a king - with the same wiggling of his ankle. "

The term magic fits better than with others

Fast change of direction, dancing, provocative movements in front of the opponent, the incredible feeling in the left foot - the inflationary concept of magic fits better with Mahrez than with others. Guardiola also likes the Algerians' physique, as he gave in with a smile in January 2020: "Do you see his legs? It is impossible for him to injure himself because he has no muscles."

The obvious association even applies to Mahrez. "I play as if I was on the street," said the Algerian, who occasionally kicked in the local gymnasium in his childhood and forgot to eat out during the day. "That's why I was so thin." With his slim legs, he still circulates every obstacle today.

"In the last third he has something special. The fact that Mahrez made it to the side of the Catalan coach is also based on a chance.

Leicester-Scout Walsh discovered Mahrez by chance

Steve Walsh, then Scout with Leicester City, actually traveled to Normandy during the 2012/13 season because of the wing player Ryan Mendes. He came back with a recommendation for Mahrez, which the Foxes loose in January 2014 for a transfer fee of just 400,000 euros from Le Havre.

Mahrez, who initially thought that Leicester was a rugby club, really got his career in the East of Midland. The sensational Premier League title 2016 was the crowning glory. In summer 2018, Manchester City transferred a whopping 68 million euros to Leicester - and will not have regretted the investment since then.

It is not surprising that potential prospective customers are supposed to wave in their hands again - despite his 31 years. Milan and PSG should gradually intensify their efforts to Mahrez. Mahrez only has one contract in Manchester until 2023, but the prospects for the Premier League and his first Champions League title are currently still out of shine.

Aguero also dislikes Guardiola's reaction

If the city fans, also become admirers of Mahrez 'playing style, may want something from the Algerian for the end of the season: cold chorus in front of the goal. The most successful shooter of the past calendar year awarded a huge chance - and thus the preliminary decision in the master fight in the 2-2 against Liverpool.

Against Real, the scene described at the beginning followed a post shot in minute 48 and a great dribbling in minute 76 - Mahrez let three opponents get out - which the crowning glory in the form of a goal was missing.

I don't like it when Pep gets so acidic.

Sergio Aguero

The exaggerated reaction of Guardiola does not only dislike many neutral observers. City legend Sergio Aguero, who commented on the game on his Twitch channel together with Mario Balotelli (welcome in 2022), criticized: "I don't like it when Pep gets so acidic.

In the sense of a former world-class attacker with great connection to Mancity, the Argentinian pushed after: "I hope he is still scoring today." He didn't. But maybe in Bernabeu. And maybe even a crucial one.