Man City beat Real Madrid 4-3 in semi-final first-leg thriller

MANCHESTER, England :After one of the greatest of Champions League semi-finals, 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.

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.

Pep 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.

It was the first time that 13-times European champions Real had conceded two goals so quickly in the Champions League and another looked on the cards.

City were on fire, running Real ragged, but Mahrez and Phil Foden were both unable to convert promising chances.

It was a spell of the game that City may yet look back on as a missed opportunity and as so often Real found a way to get themselves back in a contest that risked running away from them.

The goal came via a familiar source, the Champions League's escape artist Karim Benzema scoring a goal out of nothing as he guided a Ferland Mendy cross into the far, bottom corner with the most delicate of steers after 33 minutes.

Guardiola could be forgiven for wondering