City, Madrid seven-goal thriller: How it happened

When Real Madrid and Manchester City were drawn together for the Champions League semi-final, it was the game that every football fan had pencilled into their calendar.

A seven-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium superseded the hype and expectations of fans around the globe.

Manchester City were their usual dominant selves during the first thirty minutes of the match. They stroked the ball from one teammate to the other seamlessly, confidently and with an assurance that they have displayed in almost every game this season.

Their precise and clear possession-based game rewarded them with two goals within the first 12 minutes of the match.

For the first goal, Riyad Mehrez was allowed to casually dribble infield and deliver a delightful cross for the run of Kevin De Bruyne who bravely guided the ball past Thibaut Courtois.

Soon after this, De Bruyne switched roles from goal scorer to assist provider with a cross from the left flank into the box. The cross seemed a straightforward one that should have been easily dealt with by David Alaba, however, as per the theme of the game, Real Madrid made a defensive howler and allowed Gabriel Jesus to slot it into the back of the net.

With the score 2-0 now, just after 11 minutes, most teams in the world would struggle to pick themselves back up and make a comeback in the match. However, Real Madrid are not like most teams.

Throughout this campaign, they have managed to somehow find a way back into games with sheer individual brilliance and collective resilience.

Manchester City continued to test the shaky Real Madrid defence. City created two more incredible chances that fell to Mahrez and Phil Foden but they were unable to provide the finishing touch.

Pep Guardiola, the City manager, was incensed when Mahrez was unable to convert his chance, perhaps because he was aware that Real Madrid could still get back into the game.

In the 33rd minute of the encounter, Real Madrid, for once, managed to string passes together and generate an attack. This led to Mendy crossing the ball into the box and Karim Benzema using all his experience to guide the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Benzema, 34, is having one of the best seasons of his career and has spearheaded Real Madrid to a La Liga title.

Momentum plays a vital role in the outcome of football matches. After that goal, the momentum began to shift towards Real Madrid. The score remained 2-1 to Manchester City at the halfway mark. In the second half, Real Madrid started off better than the first, making it difficult for City to establish control and develop rhythm within their game.

A sloppy pass from Mendy was pounced on by the veteran, Fernandinho, who galloped forward with the ball and played a delightful cross into the box for Foden who simply headed it into the net to make it 3-1.

Fernandinho had been substituted for John Stones in the first half due to injury. The tension in the ground was palpable because of his lack of familiarity with playing right back and his lack of pace in dealing with Vinicious Jr.

This obvious mismatch was exploited soon after City scored their third goal, with Vinicious cleverly turning Fernandinho and using his frightening speed to dribble the ball from the halfway line to the opposition goal and slotting the ball past Ederson. A sensational solo goal from the Real Madrid prodigy, halved the deficit, making it 3-2 to City.

After the hour mark, City began to reestablish control that they had during the majority of the first half by keeping possession and controlling the tempo of the match.

After a long spell of possession, Bernardo Silva rifled the ball into the top left corner of the goal and made it 4-2.

Real Madrid were unable to get hold of the ball or create any chances. As City continued to dominate and create chances. It felt like either City would score more or the game would end with a 4-2 scoreline in favour of the English giants.

However, in football, you just never know, especially when Real Madrid are on the pitch. With 10 minutes left to play, City’s centre back carelessly left his arm outstretched away from his body and above his head when he jumped up for a header inside the box. The ball struck his arm and a penalty was awarded to Real Madrid.

The man filled with self-belief and supreme levels of confidence stepped up to the penalty spot and chipped the ball into the net with unbelievable nonchalance.

The game ended 4-3 to City. Football fans around the world surely cannot wait for the second leg that is set to take place next week.

Real Madrid will be desperate to introduce Casemero back into the team with the hope of adding more defensive balance and stability to the side.

With Real Madrid on their home turf and with their fans behind them, it is highly possible that they could knock City out of the competition if they defend better than they did in the first leg.

Manchester City will be disappointed that they kept Madrid alive and did not manage to convert their chances. But they will be confident that if they perform at the same level, they could well and truly win the game.