Manchester City storm at Real Madrid but Benzema Panenka keeps tie alive

Pep Guardiola lost himself in frustration at various points, not least when Riyad Mahrez committed the sin of finding the side-netting rather than squaring for the unmarked Phil Foden. That could have been 3-0 for Manchester City.

Guardiola found himself crouched in fear when Real Madrid ran through after a Rúben Dias slip. He would be booked for losing the plot after a throw-in went against his team. This is what the Champions League can do to a manager, especially when glory is so close. Or perhaps, this is what playing against this Real Madrid team can do.

Guardiola would wheel away in delight on 74 minutes when Oleksandr Zinchenko was fouled on the edge of the area and everybody seemed to stop – apart from Bernardo Silva, who lashed an unstoppable shot into the near top corner. After a crazy game, blighted by defensive errors, City had a 4-2 lead. At last, they looked set for a well-plumped cushion after the first installment of this semi-final. Goodness knows they had done enough at one end to earn it.

But there would be a further twist, yet more agony for Guardiola, whose team showed a rare form of generosity in their defensive third. Leaping for a high ball, Aymeric Laporte nodded it into his outstretched arm. Penalty. Karim Benzema’s Panenka conversion was the definition of composure. Guardiola slumped down on top of a drinks cooler. Real remain alive.

City were placed on top of the Deloitte money league for 2021, having generated revenues of £571.1m, with Real second on £567.3m. But everybody knows which of the clubs has the European pedigree. It was City’s third European Cup semi-final, the first having seen a limp 1-0 aggregate loss to Real in 2016. For the Spaniards, it was number 31.

Just enjoy it, Guardiola