Jack Grealish caught the mood of optimism at Manchester City after their 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, saying they were ready to finish the job at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday.
City started well but were reeled in by Madrid, who led through Vinícius Júnior’s vicious drive on 36 minutes. The holders, who eliminated City last season in the semi-final, were in charge but then Kevin De Bruyne changed everything, equalising with a fizzing drive midway through the second half.
“At the Etihad we feel unstoppable,” Grealish said. “For me, this is a fair result. It was an incredible shot from KDB, we see it every day in training. We have a new team, a balance of experience and youngsters. I’ve never felt so confident going on to the pitch with the players around me.
“I had a text from my mum before the game saying: ‘These are the nights you dreamed of as a kid,’ and it’s true. Playing in a Champions League semi‑final that everyone in the world was probably watching, sometimes you pinch yourself.”
Carlo Ancelotti, the Madrid manager, insisted his team had deserved better, having largely held City at arm’s length. Erling Haaland was restricted by David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger, who stepped in for the suspended Eder Militao. “We easily could have won, I believe we deserved to win,” Ancelotti said. “We controlled the game well. After scoring we played well.”
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Ancelotti was furious and conspiratorial, arguing that he had seen the ball go out of play in the buildup to De Bruyne’s goal. Ancelotti was booked for his protests. “It was out of play,” he said. “I don’t understand why they did not use VAR. BeIn [Sport] showed the ball was off the pitch. Technology said it and I don’t understand why VAR didn’t check it. The referee didn’t pay attention to many things tonight.”
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Pep Guardiola paid tribute to De Bruyne. “He made an incredible performance for many reasons and I’m happy for him,” the City manager said. “In this type of game, in this type of competition – semi-finals and finals – you need your best players. Ederson and Kyle Walker were exceptional. Now we’re going to travel to Manchester and see what we can do better. This kind of game is like a playoff. For the second, you learn a lot from the first.”