As spectators left the stadium in Manchester on Tuesday night, a "THANK YOU" was lit up on the scoreboards.

The hosts wanted to say thank you for the visit.

All guests would probably have wanted to say a big thank you themselves.

Because the fact that they were allowed to be part of this very special football party was a gift.

Manchester City defeated Real Madrid 4-3 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals - and both sides put on a spectacle in the process that those who were allowed to watch would not soon forget.

Tobias Rabe

Responsible editor for Sport Online.

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"We played a fantastic game against incredible opponents," said Manchester coach Pep Guardiola.

So far so good.

But a perfectionist like the Catalan, who prefers to plan and plan everything down to the smallest detail, could only be superficially satisfied: "We did a lot well, but unfortunately we also conceded the goals.

We could have scored more.” His player Phil Foden took a similar view: “I think we could have achieved a better result on another day.”

The English had two things to blame: up front they rarely scored, at the back they conceded too many goals.

That's usually the problem in football when a team doesn't achieve the desired result.

In this remarkable game between two heavyweights, however, the problem was particularly noticeable.

City took an early lead through Kevin De Bruyne (2nd minute) and Gabriel Jesus (11th).

There are other high-profile opportunities.

Riyad Mahrez hit the ball with his weaker right foot to the side netting instead of playing to Foden, who ran with him (26').

Guardiola was beside himself with anger.

Stunning beat in Manchester

And suddenly it was only 2:1 instead of 3:0.

Real, who had spent the first few minutes of the game in a kind of shock, were revived – almost of course by their best.

Karim Benzema placed a half-high cross from the left with an elegant acceptance on the inside of the post (33').

This breath-taking rhythm continued after the break.

Mahrez has a great chance of another goal for City.

But his solo effort ended on the post, and the follow-up shot from close range did not hit the goal, but the leg of the remaining defender Dani Carvajal (48th).

Then Foden was still successful.

A cross from the veteran substitute Fernandinho, who is actually a defensive midfielder but now played at right-back due to the suspension of João Cancelo and the injury-related substitution of substitute John Stones, was headed into the goal by Foden (53').

Just two minutes later, the young Vinícius Júnior escaped the oldie Fernandinho on the halfway line and pushed in again for Real (55').

It was Bernardo Silva's turn for Manchester with a hammer in the near corner (74') before Benzema converted a hand penalty (82').