Manchester City flirt with perfection as Champions League glory beckons

The plaudits rolled out for Manchester City as they masterfully made their way into the Champions League final, with Jack Grealish describing the team as “unstoppable and unbelievable.”

Add unforgettable, too.

The 4-0 rout of holders Real Madrid on Wednesday night in their semifinal second leg — a win that sealed a 5-1 aggregate success — was one of the club’s greatest triumphs.

Had there been a trophy at stake, it would arguably have topped everything beforehand.

But this will still be a defining moment in City’s history, showing they deserve to be ranked alongside the world’s best club sides past and present.

Doubt has often been cast by their inability to win the Champions League, but they will be strong favorites to rectify that when they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.

To reach this stage they have scored 14 goals in their last three home ties against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real.

In a performance that hinted at perfection, Bernardo Silva scored twice and Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez also netted to inflict Real’s joint-heaviest Champions League defeat since Liverpool beat them 4-0 at Anfield in 2009.

Now City have the chance to banish the memory of their 2021 final loss to Chelsea.

“To put in the performance that we all did, individually and collectively, was magic,” said Bernardo.

“It was a special night for us and we’re very emotional to have this opportunity again. Hopefully, this year we can change the outcome of what happened two years ago.”

Bernardo said City were clinical as they overcame Real, while Grealish added: “I didn’t think we let them breathe.”

City, in contrast, were breathless on the ball and fearless in their approach.

Boss Pep Guardiola said: “These guys have done