City is the real deal

Its performance at the Santiago Bernabeu was worthy of its status as one of European football’s elite clubs. Kevin De Bruyne kept his cool to beat Belgium teammate Thibaut Courtois from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute and hand City the lead. This was after Gabriel Jesus headed home a cross from De Bruyne to pull the visitor level in the 78th minute.

Isco had given Real the advantage on the hour mark following a sweeping counter-attack. But, the 13-time European champion’s night soon unravelled, culminating in captain Sergio Ramos being sent off for hauling down Jesus in a bid to prevent a third City goal. City head coach Pep Guardiola, who has not gone past the quarter-final in his three previous seasons with the club, was delighted with how his side turned the match around.

“Winning at the Bernabeu gives us great satisfaction. It is not something this club is used to. I’m very pleased with the result and the performance,” he said before sounding a note of caution. “If there is one club which is capable of turning a tie around, it is Real. It has the history and experience in this competition to do it.”

Ramos will be suspended for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 17 while City’s Aymeric Laporte was forced off injured in the first half, another setback in a season marked by fitness troubles. City went into the match with a two-year ban from European competition hanging around its neck for defying UEFA’s rules on financial fair play.

However, it is to be noted that the club had submitted an appeal against the sanction earlier this week. The visiting supporters chanted against Europe’s organising body throughout the game and after the away side completed its comeback, the sanction had become a badge of pride for the gleeful fans.

Guardiola opted to leave his top scorers Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero out of the starting line-up despite them getting a combined 40 goals in all competitions this season. Yet he turned to Sterling in the second half, with the England forward earning the penalty after a foul from right-back Dani Carvajal.

Brazil striker Jesus led City’s line and had its two best chances in the first half, first drawing a save from Madrid keeper Courtois and then seeing a shot hurriedly scuffed off the line by three Real players right before half-time. Real’s best chance of the opening period came when Karim Benzema had a header saved by Ederson and the ball fell to Vinicius Jr.

But the teenager fell over just as he was shaping to shoot into the unguarded net. The Brazilian was not fazed by the miss, though, and played a crucial part in breaking the deadlock. He chased down Fernandinho and laid on the pass for Isco to score.