Manchester City edge Real Madrid in seven-goal Champions League thriller

City will take a 4-3 advantage to Spain for second leg of semi-final

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring the first goal of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. City won the match 4-3 in an incredible contest. PA

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the first goal after just two minutes. AFP

Kevin de Bruyne heads Manchester City in front. Getty

Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal after 11 minutes. Getty

Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus celebrates with Kevin de Bruyne. AFP

Gabriel Jesus celebrates his goal. AFP

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus scores the second goal. PA

Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring the second goal. AFP

Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal. Reuters

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema pulls a goal back for the Spanish giants. AP

Karim Benzema celebrates his goal. AFP

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and City's Pep Guardiola greet each other before kick-off. Getty

Phil Foden celebrates scoring City's third goal. PA

Foden makes it 3-1 to City. Action Images

Manchester City's Ederson throws a flare off the pitch after Phil Foden scored their third goal. Action Images

Vinicius Junior scores Real's second goal to make it 3-2. Getty

Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring. PA

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring their second goal. Action Images

City's Bernardo Silva scores their fourth goal. Action Images

Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring the fourth goal. PA

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema scores their third goal with a penalty. PA

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring Real's third goal from the penalty spot, to make it 4-3 after the first leg. Getty

Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola shake hands after the match. EPA

Manchester City claimed a slender advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid after a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

The Premier League leaders raced into a 2-0 lead in a pulsating first-leg encounter with goals from the irrepressible Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus in the first 11 minutes.

Real responded through the prolific Karim Benzema before Phil Foden and Vinicius Junior traded goals early in the second half.

Bernardo Silva gave City a two-goal advantage but Benzema scored a cheeky penalty – his 41st goal of the season in as many appearances – to cut the deficit once again.

Both sides spurned numerous other chances in a compelling and breathless clash that set the stage for a fascinating second leg next week.

"I honestly think for the first 20 minutes we were so, so good," Bernardo told BT Sport.

"The way we pressed, the way we controlled the game and created chances. Over the 90 minutes it felt like we could have won by a better score.

"Unfortunately we were not able to take advantage of our two-goal differences that we had three times. It is the Champions League, we play one of the best teams in the world. It is still a good result. On to the next game.

"It was a good game. Our fans should be proud of us and the work we did. We could have scored more but this football. They took their chances."

City may regret not making the most of a number of early opportunities as they stormed out of the blocks. They could almost have put the tie out of sight in the opening half-hour but Real, after fine comebacks against Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the previous two rounds, fought back again.

Real were sluggish and sloppy and continually left spaces for the hosts to exploit. Some of Foden’s touches were exquisite and De Bruyne’s throughballs were a constant danger.

It was De Bruyne who got City off to the dream start, heading their opening goal after just two minutes from a Riyad Mahrez cross.

The atmosphere crackled and City took further inspiration, doubling their lead nine minutes later.

Foden showed great control before laying off to De Bruyne, who drilled a low ball into the box for Jesus. The Brazilian had his back to goal but, buoyed by the four-goal haul against Watford that earned him a place in the side, was too quick for David Alaba. He turned sharply, wrong-footing the defender and blasted a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.

City went close again as Oleksandr Zinchenko fired wide and Mahrez infuriated manager Pep Guardiola by hitting the side-netting rather than squaring for Foden, who later shot wide himself.

Yet as well as City were playing, they did look vulnerable at the back. Guardiola’s gamble in rushing back John Stones from injury to play at right-back in the absence of Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker also backfired.

The England international struggled and was caught out as Benzema crossed and Alaba glanced a header wide.

City failed to heed that warning and Real scored through the same route, this time Ferland Mendy crossing for Benzema to divert in. Stones was replaced by Fernandinho moments later.

City upped the tempo after the break and hit the post through Mahrez. Foden’s follow-up attempt was blocked by Dani Carvajal but he made no mistake in the 53rd minute as he got on the end of a fine cross from makeshift right-back Fernandinho to head City’s third.

Yet again from a position of control, City allowed Real back into the game. Vinicius turned Fernandinho out wide and was too quick for the rest of the defence, racing into the box to slot into the bottom corner.

It could even have been 3-3 soon after as Eder Militao found space but aimed his header at Ederson.

Such was the tension that Guardiola was booked for coming out of his technical area.

City were determined to add to their tally and their fourth came after referee Istvan Kovacs played a good advantage when Toni Kroos felled Zinchenko on the edge of the area. Real stopped expecting the whistle to be blown but Silva played on and smacked a shot into the top corner. They pushed on even after that, with Mahrez inches away from another.

Real were not done and pulled another one back eight minutes from time with a Panenka penalty from the cool Benzema after Aymeric Laporte handled.