It's the eighth day of the Lockdown League, and the last spot for the next round is up for grabs. Over the last seven days, we've seen Mamelodi Sundowns stars, and even a couple of Liverpool household names, form part of this exciting Lockdown tournament. In contrast to yesterday's one-sided affair where Brazilians forward, Sibusiso Vilakazi came out on top, this match-up proved to be a much tighter encounter.
CLICK HERE to watch Lyle Lakay get hammered by his Sundowns teammate.
Maritzburg United defensive midfielder, Miguel Timm (FC Barcelona), faced ex Bidvest Wits attacking midfielder Anthony Gordinho (Manchester City).
Although the atmosphere between the players was jovial, the FIFA match itself was highly competitive.
Manchester City dominated the first half, and although Rodrigo scored within the first 20 minutes, his goal was ruled out for offside. Barcelona, on the other hand, looked shaky in defence with Clément Lenglet and Gerard Piqué struggling to deal with Sergio Aguero's pace. On the stroke of half-time, the Citizens made their dominance count, as Kyle Walker headed the English Premier League side in front, as shouts of, "Yes boys", echoed from Gordinho to make it 1-0.
Despite the LaLiga outfit making a strong start to the second half, the match became more competitive. Timm's groans were clearly heard after Luis Suarez has his effort smartly saved by Ederson, who would have an eventful 45 minutes. In a well-crafted move, City nearly doubled their lead, but Ilkay Gündogan couldn't keep his shot on target. The Catalan giants then won a penalty on the 89th minute. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Ederson saved the penalty. The sky-blues would come out on top as the victor punched the air in pure relief at the end of an enthralling match.
With Gordinho progressing to the next round of the Lockdown League, the wait for our first Lockdown champion edges a little closer.
As level three of the lockdown is only a few days away, we urge you all to stay tuned to Soccer Laduma and HyperSocial as the Lockdown tournament continues to offer up great entertainment. Over the next few days, we will allow you to vote for the best goal of Round One. Let us all continue to follow lockdown regulations and stay safe.
CLICK HERE to watch Anthony Gordinho squeeze into the next phase.
