MANCHESTER: After one of the greatest of Champions League semi-final clashes, Manchester City will take a 4-3 lead into the second leg of their tie against Real Madrid following an extraordinary encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

A breathtaking and relentlessly fast game, packed with chances, moments of individual brilliance and a smattering of defensive lapses, was a treat for the spectators but leaves City, who had the better of the game, with the slenderest of leads to defend at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.

“It was a fantastic game for both sides. We did many good things. Unfortunately we conceded goals and we could not score more. But it is two games and we have another one in one week,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.

Real’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti had similar mixed feelings to Guardiola after an entertaining night and left with some regrets but there was a hint of optimism in his analysis.

“As a football fan, it was a fantastic game of football. As a manager of Real, I have to take into consideration that we ... conceded two goals very early. But we take three goals to the Bernabeu. We now hope to get to the final.”

It was Karim Benzema who set up what should be a special night at the Bernabeu on May 4 by scoring twice to take his tally for the season to 41 goals in as many games.

Real trailed by two goals three times in the semi-final first leg at the Etihad stadium on Tuesday but fought back to lose by a solitary goal.

“I warn our fans to be ready to see something magical, we will win the second leg at Santiago Bern­abeu,” Benzema told Movistar Plus.

“Losing is never good and we care a lot about winning the Champions League this season. The thing is we never lowered our guard and kept fighting until the end.”

Without the Frenchman, Real’s quest for a 14th European crown would have long since sunk.

Benzema scored hat-tricks against both Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the past two rounds as Real walked a tightrope to reach the last four for the 30th time.

By contrast, this was just City’s third trip to the semi-finals, but the English champions justified their status as tournament favourites on the night the Etihad Stadium may finally have warmed to the Champions League.

The competition’s anthem was again lustily booed before kick-off by City fans who have not forgotten the financial fair play charges laid against their club by UEFA.

Had City not successfully appe­a­led to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they would have been banned from the Champions League for the past two seasons.

Instead, they are 90 minutes away from reaching the final for a second consecutive season.

It was the first time the City fans had something to cheer in a semi-final.

When the sides met at this stage in 2016, Real edged a cagey tie 1-0 on aggregate.

Last season, City swept aside PSG but in front of empty stadiums due to coronavirus restrictions.

This time it took just 10 minutes for Real to be clinging on to stay in the tie.

City took the lead after 94 seconds, the fastest goal scored in a Champions League semi-final, with Kevin De Bruyne’s superb diving header after Riyad Mahrez made a piercing run at the Real defence, switched inside and then delivered a killer cross.

Guardiola’s side doubled their lead in the 11th minute through the in-form Gabriel Jesus, who scored four goals in the Premier League at the weekend, collecting a pass from De Bruyne and spinning away from David Alaba before drilling home.

Mahrez and Phil Foden should have put Real out of sight, but PSG and Chelsea had similar regrets only to be stung by the survival instincts of Ancelotti’s men.

Once again it was left to Benzema to dig Los Blancos out of the mire by halving the deficit as he guided a Ferland Mendy cross into the far, bottom corner with the most delicate of steers after 33 minutes.

A wild second half raged from end to end as Foden and Bernardo Silva extended City’s advantage, only to be pegged back by Vinicius Junior’s stunning solo run and finish before Benzema had the final word from the penalty spot.

“No one can say they didn’t enjoy it,” said Guardiola. “It was a good advertisement for football.”

Eleven years have passed since Guardiola last lifted the European Cup as Barcelona coach.

That same year City began their Champions League journey, backed by the wealth of Abu Dhabi that has made them the dominant force in English football over the past decade.

Now in Guardiola’s sixth season, conquering Europe remains their holy grail.

There has been much frustration at the failures along the way, particularly when Guardiola has at times tried to be too clever by half.

But the sight of Real being put to the sword with the eyes of the world on the Etihad was why City have invested so much to bring the Spaniard to east Manchester and keep him around longer than he has stayed at any other club.

“There is not one complaint about the result, the performance,” added Guardiola. “I’m so proud and incredibly happy with the way we performed.”

The ultimate test of whether City are ready to win the Champions League awaits next week when the cauldron of the Bernabeu will expect another Real revival.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2022