Man City hit Real Madrid for four to reach Champions League final

Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez (C) celebrates scoring the team’s fourth goal with Manchester City’s English defender John Stones during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 17, 2023. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Manchester City produced a stunning performance to reach the Champions League final as Bernardo Silva’s double put Real Madrid to the sword in 4-0 thrashing, securing a 5-1 aggregate win for the English champions on Wednesday.

Eder Militao’s own goal and Julian Alvarez’s strike in stoppage time rounded off a memorable night for Pep Guardiola’s men as they moved to within three wins of matching Manchester United’s treble in 1998/99.

A fifth Premier League title in six seasons appears a formality with City needing just three points from their final three games, while United await in the FA Cup final on June 3.

But it is a first ever Champions League that City crave the most and they will be strong favourites to finally conquer Europe against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.

Seven years into Guardiola’s reign as City boss, the home fans were sent into seventh heaven by the quality of a display that rivalled the former Barcelona boss’ Champions League final wins in charge of the Catalan giants in 2009 and 2011.

Madrid dashed City’s dreams at this stage last season with a remarkable comeback from two goals down in the dying seconds of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Carlo Ancelotti’s men this time had no answer to City’s excellence.

Were it not for Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the defending champions would have been on the end of a hiding before