Seven goals and it could have been many more; it has been many years since a Champions League semi-final has been so attractive for spectators

Manchester City-Real Madrid, a great spectacle, what if all matches were like this?

photo_camera AFP/PAUL ELLIS - Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema after scoring a penalty and his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on April 26, 2022

Four goals to three was the final result in favour of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

Real Madrid played a very poor game with bursts of good play at times. Karim Benzema appeared again to keep them in the tie, to save his team. Also that faith, or DNA as some say, of Real Madrid.

It was a spectacle of total football, without interruptions, without controversy, without speculation and with a generous physical outpouring.

Manchester City fans enjoyed the great play of their team, which bordered on perfection, but lacked the finishing touches to the many chances they created. But they also suffered every time Karim Benzema or Vinicius picked up the ball or simply scored goals out of nothing.

El centrocampista belga del Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne, celebra tras marcar un gol durante el partido de fútbol de ida de las semifinales de la UEFA Champions League entre el Manchester City y el Real Madrid, en el Etihad Stadium, en Manchester, el 26 de abril de 2022

Real Madrid fans struggled mightily at the start of the game as they watched their team get outplayed by Guardiola's side. And not only that, but this superiority translated into goals, two in ten minutes.

And something rare in football happened. Firstly, instead of retreating at the back and maintaining their magnificent two-nil lead and going on the counter to increase it, but without taking any risks whatsoever, City continued to attack to finish off a Real Madrid side that was very weak in defence and who were outplayed. They kept up the intensity and pressure to score more and more goals. It is also true that Guardiola's team doesn't know how to play anything but attack.

And, secondly, that the subdued team, instead of holding their own and closing in at the back to avoid conceding more goals, came out of their lair with rebellion and self-respect. It is also true that this was predictable with Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Vinicius. Especially this year, where Ancelotti's side had already been left for dead on two occasions and rose to their feet with extraordinary vigour.

El entrenador italiano del Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, durante el partido de fútbol de ida de las semifinales de la Liga de Campeones de la UEFA entre el Manchester City y el Real Madrid, en el Etihad Stadium, en Manchester, el 26 de abril de 2022

The spectacle this time was that Real Madrid got up three times and City kept trying until the final whistle.

Another rare thing was that there was no controversy, no fouls, no dirty play, no time wasting, no violent play.

It was an extraordinary ninety minutes of football where one team was superior in play and the other team showed its defiance and determination not to be eliminated in this first game of the play-offs.

At times, it looked like a copy of PSG-Real Madrid a few days ago, where the French team failed to take their chances in Paris, did not take advantage of a good first half at the Bernabéu and succumbed to the white avalanche in the last half hour.

El entrenador español del Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, reacciona durante el partido de fútbol de ida de las semifinales de la Liga de Campeones de la UEFA entre el Manchester City y el Real Madrid, en el Etihad Stadium, en Manchester, el 26 de abril de 2022

We have to thank these two coaches for their strategy. For not speculating at any point in the match.

We expected it from Guardiola, and Ancelotti played a forward line with three players despite not having Casemiro, taking a big risk.

De Bruyne, Mahrez and Foden continually disrupted the Madrid players who were at a disadvantage in midfield. Madrid's midfield was missing Casemiro. Real Madrid was unable to connect with Vinicius, Benzema and Rodrygo because of the suffocating pressure from Guardiola's side, intelligently directed towards the flank of Mendy who was outclassed at all times by the level of a game in which he was clearly the player with the least quality of the 22.

It is incomprehensible that this player is in a Real Madrid team that is in the Champions League semi-final. If we add to this the incomprehensible failures of an unknown Militao and a clearly injured Alaba, it could have been a major debacle. Only Carvajal was at a high level, thank goodness the Madrid full-back is back to his best. Nacho was as good as ever.

Ancelotti's attacking approach didn't help the defence either, which had a really bad time.

Riyad Mahrez del Manchester City

Modric was up to the task, leaving details of quality of a supercrack and Valverde showed that he can be a starter in this team without a doubt. Toni Kroos was the one who dropped a lot. Without Casemiro he was quickly exhausted and the most logical thing to do and what all the Madridistas were thinking was for Camavinga to come on for the German and not the Croatian.

Up front Vinicius and Rodrygo were unable to help the midfield to keep the ball. The ball wasn't coming to them, but they had to look for it and offer it. Benzema was extremely well covered.

Even so, Rodrygo gave his all, Vinicius scored a superb goal and what can we say about Benzema who clearly makes the difference. Nobody doubts that the Frenchman is currently the best player in the world.

City are a super team. Where everyone works hard and where the quality of Kevin De Bruyne stands out, who is currently the only one alongside Kylian Mbappé who can overshadow Karim Benzema to be the best.

El delantero brasileño del Real Madrid Vinicius Junior controla el balón durante el partido de fútbol de ida de las semifinales de la UEFA Champions League entre el Manchester City y el Real Madrid, en el Etihad Stadium, en Manchester, el 26 de abril de 2022

Mahrez also had a great game as did Gabriel Jesus, a constant nightmare for Alaba and Militao. Mahrez had it easy on Mendy's flank. Bernardo Silva scored a great goal when the Whites' defenders were stopped by a Toni Kroos foul which showed his exhaustion and which the referee judiciously allowed to continue. The referee in Europe is not a protagonist as he is in the Spanish league and is clear when hands should be whistled, like the one by Laporte.

In defence, City were not good. Madrid took advantage of a weakness in the English team, in this case in the form of an injury to Stones, by putting a patch on another patch, Fernandinho at full-back, because they had no other for Vinicius to run the length of the English pitch and score a goal that was perfect in its execution. 

In short: a footballing spectacle that we will remember for a long time. The best for the spectators were the two coaches, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, who played an open game that allowed the players to show their quality and sometimes their flaws.

A tribute to fair play, spectacle and good refereeing.

And then there is the return leg on Wednesday 4 May at the Bernabeu with the players cheering on their arrival at the stadium at 19:00 and the match at 21:00 where I fear that Pep will once again play an attacking game and that Madrid will have no choice but to attack to win the tie. They need one goal to draw and two to reach the final.

If all matches were like this, we wouldn't know how much passion this sport arouses.

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