Manchester City in Champions League final after Silva leads rout of Real Madrid

It was not even close, which was surely the most impressive thing from Manchester City’s point of view as they roared into the Champions League final; another step closer to ultimacy, immortality.

The power came during an eviscerating first-half, when Bernardo Silva scored two and Real Madrid were reduced to quivering wrecks, fortunate that the damage was not heavier. Jack Grealish had one of the games of his life and he was ably supported by pretty much everybody around him.

With this Madrid team on these kinds of nights, partly because of their history – 14 European Cups and all the rest – there is usually the feeling that they are never truly dead; they will find a way back. Not here.

Madrid knitted a few moves together in the second-half and if that bears reporting it was because of how one-sided it had been previously. But there was never the feeling that they had another comeback in them, another dose of Champions League voodoo to rival that with which they had devastated City at this stage of last season’s competition.

City managed the period when a Real goal might have provoked a few jitters and it was all over when Manuel Akanji touched a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick into Eder Militão, who watched the ball fly in off him. It probably said a lot that the celebrations in the stands were not overly wild, which was also the case when the substitute, Julian Álvarez scored the fourth, after fine approach work from two other replacements, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.

It was a stroll and yet another statement. City will be the red-hot favourites to beat Internazionale in the final.

It was one of the biggest nights in City’s history. In the background was their looming capture of a fifth Premier League title in six seasons,