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Manchester City have beaten Real Madrid 4-3 in a gripping Champions League semi-final, first leg tie at the Etihad Stadium.
Kevin De Bruyne (2), Gabriel Jesus (11), Phil Foden (53) and Bernardo Silva (74) scored for City who played some sumptuous football.
But Karim Benzema (33, 82) and Vinícius Júnior (55) kept a Madrid side which often seemed on the brink of being overwhelmed in the tie.
The game caught light in the second minute and was ablaze from then on.
That was how long it took De Bruyne to open the scoring, bravely heading in a curling cross from Riyad Mahrez.
City doubled the lead in the 11th minute when Jesus turned David Alaba to covert De Bruyne’s cross.
It should have been 3-0 in the 26th minute when Mahrez broke, but to Pep Guardiola’s evident frustration he shot into the side-netting when team-mates were better placed.
Another chance went begging three minutes later when Foden, released by De Bruyne, shot wide.
City were made to pay for those misses in the 33rd minute.
Madrid had been hapless in possession until Ferland Mendy’s cross found Benzema, who expertly hooked a left-footed shot in off the post under pressure from Oleksandr Zinchenko to make it 2-1.
City almost made it 3-1 early in the second half, Mahrez hitting the post before Dani Carvajal’s goal-line clearance prevented Foden tucking in the rebound.
They were not denied long. In the 53rd minute as Fernandinho, on at right-back for the injured John Stones, overlapped and delivered a cross Foden headed home.
But the out-of-position 36-year-old Fernandinho was then duped by Vinicius Jr who roared down the left to halve the deficit.
Madrid appeared to settle for that, but City needed more and they got it after an excellent advantage played by the Romanian referee. He waved play on after Zinchencko was fouled and Silva lashed a shot into the top corner.
However, Madrid again came back, Benzema cooly scoring a ‘Panenka penalty’ after a cross struck the arm of Aymeric Laporte.
The second leg, which will be much-awaited, is on Wednesday May 4.
Liverpool and Villarreal meet this Wednesday in the first leg of the other semi-final.
“It was a fantastic game for both sides,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.
“We did many good things. Unfortunately we conceded goals and we could not score more. But two games and we have another one in one week.
“We played a fantastic game against an incredible team. The moments where they rise and come back into the game in the first half I think we gave them as our build-up was so nervous.
“Normally we are so safe and so good. Also they press really good and strong. All around the world and for Manchester City, we are so proud. But it is about reaching the final and sometimes football happens. We go to Madrid to try to win the game.
“We went out of the Champions League to Tottenham when Llorente with the hand. Today it is a hand for Laporte. It happens.
” All we can do is perform as we perform. The quality of Real Madrid is such they can punish you. What we have done with the ball and without the ball, creating chances and chances and chances I can’t ask anything else. I say to the players to rest.
“Leeds now is the most important thing and we go to Madrid to win. Both teams want to attack and have the quality to play. Football is a fantastic spectacle. Congratulations to Carlo and his team as they are so good. At the same time, we saw ourselves that we can be there.”
Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti was also in high spirits.
“I am a supporter of football of course. It was a fantastic game.,” said Ancelotti.
“As manager of Real Madrid I have to take consideration that we scored three goals, which is really important. We didn’t defend well. We can do better. We concede two goals early in the game and then we are able to react really well.
“We kept the game open until the end. Now we have a great dream to play the second game in the Bernabeu and we hope to have the chance to go to the final.
“The first 20 minutes were really difficult but slowly we were able to come back into the game to keep qualification open.
“We need this [some magic] as we are going to play against a really string team. We competed today and we need to do that more in our stadium.”
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