Manchester City facing a Real Madrid team full of belief after an epic at the Etihad

Every step towards the Champions League title that should, sooner or later, endorse Manchester City’s status as one of the very finest teams of the 21st century feels like a coming of age. But in this tumultuous season, those steps seem to be on an escalator moving at breakneck speed.

The bruises from a tight, combative quarter-final against an aggressive Atletico Madrid had barely healed before Tuesday's wild, seven-goal semi-final against Real Madrid left every neutral hoping for something equally epic in next week’s second leg.

The most seasoned observer of European Cup dramas at the Etihad stadium, Carlo Ancelotti, believes that is unlikely. The Madrid head coach certainly hopes that several aspects of City’s 4-3 win, especially Madrid’s lax marking, are not repeated at the Bernabeu.

Ancelotti has played or managed in close to 200 European Cup matches and known few with such a rollercoaster quality. “It’s hard to see the second leg being like the first,” said the Italian, whose chief dread would be that City’s finishing matches up with the quality and number of chances they created in the tie’s first 90 minutes.

“We’ll fight to make it another magical night,” Ancelotti promised madridistas who dream of seeing Madrid clinch the Liga title this weekend - a point at home to Espanyol will be enough - and, four days later, mount yet another comeback in a European Cup knockout tie.

The dazzling recovery to win 3-2, from 2-0 down with half an hour left against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, fuels their belief. So does the see-saw victory against Chelsea, who led the quarter-final with 15 minutes of normal time remaining ahead of Karim Benzema scoring his seventh goal in the space of three European games to put Madrid