90min

Twitter reacts as Man City & Real Madrid play out Champions League classic

By Jack Gallagher

Silva and Foden scored
Silva and Foden scored / Soccrates Images/GettyImages
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Well, that was a fun game of football.

Man City and Real Madrid played out a stone-cold UEFA Champions League classic on Tuesday evening at the Etihad Stadium, with the home side running out 4-3 winners.

City made a quick start to the game. And by 'quick start' we mean they scored the quickest goal in UEFA Champions League semi-final history.

The goal came from the brilliance of Riyad Mahrez who curled the ball to the back post where Kevin De Bruyne was on hand to head home.

Mahrez is always bloody brilliant in the Champions League, isn't he?

The home side's dominance continued thereafter, and about 10 minutes later they were two goals to the good.

This time De Bruyne turned provider, crossing into Gabriel Jesus who, after 'controlling' (the ball bounced around a bit and landed at his feet), coolly side-footed into the bottom right corner of the net.

It was then so nearly three in the 25th minute.

After a quick counter-attack led by De Bruyne (who else?), Mahrez was played through on goal on the right of the penalty area.

With Foden unmarked on the other side of the box however, the Algerian forward elected to have a pop at goal and sliced his shot just wide of the right post.

He probably should've passed to Foden...

And after spurning that chance, guess who scored?

Yep, Karim Benzema.

The forward brilliantly volleyed a Ferland Mendy ball into the box across goal and into the bottom right corner of the net.

Game. On.

Not to be deterred by conceding, City rushed out of the blocks at the start of the second half and, miraculously, didn't score a third.

The Cityzens had saw two brilliant chances go abegging, first when Mahrez curled a shot from eight-yards out off of the post, and then immediately afterward when the ball fell to Foden on the edge of the six-yard box.

The England international's subsequent, rather tame, effort on goal was blocked brilliantly on the line by Dani Carvajal.

Moments later Foden made amends for that miss.

The 21-year-old headed home from just inside the six-yard box, latching onto a wonderful cross from Fernandinho.

Just when Real Madrid looked dead and buried, they found a way back into the game again.

This time the goal would come from some astonishing play from Vinicius Jr, who dummied the ball through Fernandinho's legs before rushing down the flank and curling past Ederson.

Top class.

In the 73rd minute we got another goal.

Yep - ANOTHER ONE.

It was the home side who would get it, as the referee played advantage following a foul on Oleksandr Zinchenko, allowing Bernardo Silva to take the ball into the left-hand side of the penalty before lashing into the top corner.

Amazingly, that wasn't the end of the drama.

Aymeric Laporte handled the ball inside the box, gave Real Madrid a penalty, and Benzema stepped up to PANENKA it into the middle of the net.

And that was how it would finish.

What. A. Game.

We can't wait for the second leg next Wednesday night.

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