No matter how modestly you play and no matter how far below your standards you slip, moments of individual brilliance can dig you out of the deepest hole.
Here it was the turn of Phil Foden to drag Manchester City to safety and within sight of yet another Champions League semi-final.
This was not the City we know. Playing in a famous stadium looking rather different beneath its new closed roof, Pep Guardiola’s team of champions were largely unrecognisable also.
Having led within two minutes, they trailed after fourteen. City were sloppy, slow and careless. At times it looked as though Real Madrid may run right through them. Maybe they should have. Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and friends missed enough chances.
But City remain a special team and Foden a special player. The goal he struck to equalise midway through the second half flew like an arrow from 20 yards in to the top corner. It raised the temperature of a superb game even higher and inspired team mate Josko Gvardiol to follow with a stunning strike of his own five minutes later. Remarkably, with 20 minutes to go, City led 3-2.
Phil Foden scored a stunning equaliser in a classic European time between Man City and Real
![Foden kept up his brilliant form this season, scoring an exquisite goal to make it 2-2](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/22/83431105-13289261-Phil_Foden_kept_up_his_brilliant_form_this_season_scoring_an_exq-a-26_1712696943131.jpg)
Foden kept up his brilliant form this season, scoring an exquisite goal to make it 2-2
![The City star curled in a brilliant effort into the top corner to make it all square again](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/22/83431113-13289261-The_City_star_curled_in_a_brilliant_effort_into_the_top_corner_t-a-25_1712696940038.jpg)
The City star curled in a brilliant effort into the top corner to make it all square again
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/22/83431249-13289261-image-a-27_1712696947538.jpg)
Pep Guardiola passionately celebrates with Foden after getting City back into the tie
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![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/22/83433109-13289261-image-a-41_1712697644295.jpg)
Their lead was not to last. Another wonderful goal followed in the 78th minute, this time from the left foot of Real’s Federico Valverde. So this frantic evening in the Spanish capital ended with six goals shared. City will be the team feeling better about all of that ahead of the second leg, though. Offered such a result at half-time, they would have accepted in a heartbeat.
City began the first half as though they were about to take an enduring grip of the game. They ended it hanging on grimly. The shift in power, direction and territory had been as remarkable as it had been complete.
The greatest news for Guardiola and his players was that the Spanish team hadn’t scored more than two goals.
The game had started frenetically. City were a goal up within two minutes and could have been 2-0 ahead five minutes later. But then Real Madrid woke up to score twice in a minute and they time we’d played quarter of an hour they were ahead. Some turn around. Some game.
After that, at least in the first 45 minutes, a pattern was set to the extent that the same thing kept happening. City would turn over possession in midfield, Real would ease forward with purpose and more often than not a shot on goal would ensue.
Had the attacking players in white had a little more dynamite in their boots, they could have scored one or two more goals.
![Bernardo Silva got City off to the best possible start, scoring from a free kick in two minutes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83427377-13289261-image-a-8_1712692269418.jpg)
Bernardo Silva got City off to the best possible start, scoring from a free kick in two minutes
![Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin wasn't set in his position and failed to prevent the shot going in](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83427327-13289261-image-a-6_1712692254046.jpg)
Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin wasn’t set in his position and failed to prevent the shot going in
![A jubilant Silva wheels away in celebration after silencing the Bernabeu early doors](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83427371-13289261-image-a-7_1712692257003.jpg)
A jubilant Silva wheels away in celebration after silencing the Bernabeu early doors
City had absolutely no control of the game at this point and that is so rare as to make it strange to watch. The game was not being played at their pace, nor in the areas in which they like to live. Up front, Erling Haaland was anonymous. Roy Keane, archly critical of the City forward’s link-up play recently, would doubtless have a view.
Back to the start of the night and things didn’t go well for City before we had even seen a ball kicked. Kevin De Bruyne, back to form and fitness recently, reported sick and could only make a place on the bench.
Initially that didn’t seem to matter. Jack Grealish – in all likelihood playing in De Bruyne’s stead, drove hard at Real’s Aurelien Tchouameni and drew a foul for which his opponent was booked.
As the Real defensive wall settled, Silva whipped a low free-kick to Andriy Lunin’s right and the Ukrainian goalkeeper could not get low enough quickly enough to stop the ball finding the back of the net.
City were beside themselves and were briefly dominant. Haaland saw a near post half chance blocked by Lunin and Real were wobbling a little.
But Real were to bounce back quickly and emphatically. Their equaliser was a little lucky, Eduardo Camavinga’s shot striking Ruven Dias and wrong-footing City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega on its way in. The second – a minute or so later – was a desperately poor one to concede, however.
![The first half was frantic to begin with, as Man City and Real Madrid traded attacks](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428721-13289261-image-a-9_1712692310416.jpg)
The first half was frantic to begin with, as Man City and Real Madrid traded attacks
![Ten minutes after the deadlock was broken, Eduardo Camavinga pulled one back for Real](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428773-13289261-image-a-11_1712692323472.jpg)
Ten minutes after the deadlock was broken, Eduardo Camavinga pulled one back for Real
![The Frenchman's shot deflected in off Ruben Dias which saw Real pull level with City](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428757-13289261-image-a-10_1712692318720.jpg)
The Frenchman’s shot deflected in off Ruben Dias which saw Real pull level with City
Vinicius Jnr was able to release Rodrygo down the left and he ran away from City’s right-back Manuel Aakanji to draw Ortega and poke the ball slowly but accurately across the goalkeeper and in to the far corner.
The ball hardly had enough pace on it to make it over the line but it made it and in an instant City were in a little bit of trouble.
What Guardiola’s team needed now was a little security, an ability to tighten the game quieten it down. The home crowd – vociferous under the closed roof – had found their voice and that was also starting to work against the Premier League champions.
City could not get a hold of things, though. Rodrygo, in particular, kept finding of pockets of space and using them to ease the City back four in to retreat.
Twice more the Brazilian found space to shoot and both times Ortega clutched the ball more comfortably than he may have anticipated.
Vinicius Jnr and Camavinga also struck for goal with similar results and within all this City could only play and forage on the break.
City did carry a threat when they had the ball. Grealish worked himself a yard in the penalty area in the 33rd minute, for example, but when his shot was blocked Real were up the other end and threatening within thirty seconds. That, in a nutshell, summed up City’s problems in the opening half.
![Then, just two minutes after Real's equaliser, Rodrygo slotted past Ortega to put Real 2-1 up](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428743-13289261-image-a-13_1712692344667.jpg)
Then, just two minutes after Real’s equaliser, Rodrygo slotted past Ortega to put Real 2-1 up
![The Brazilian's shot took a deflection en route to net and past City's on-rushing goalkeeper](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428905-13289261-image-a-15_1712692486224.jpg)
The Brazilian’s shot took a deflection en route to net and past City’s on-rushing goalkeeper
![Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti looked stunned by a frenetic first half between the two sides](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/20/83428779-13289261-image-a-14_1712692471076.jpg)
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti looked stunned by a frenetic first half between the two sides
City needed something to change in the second half. They needed a tactical shift, a communal uptick in performance or something to happen that would alter the whole feel of the game. Initially they got none of it.
As the hour mark came and went this was exactly the same game as City’s failings invited Real to play the game in their opponents’ half.
The one solace for Guardiola was that Real were not creating clear chances. Most of their shots continue to arrive from around the edge of the penalty area.
Rodri — enduring an awful night — passed the ball straight to Jude Bellingham in the 53rd minute but the England player pulled his shot wide across goal. Then Vinicius was released into space down the left and his strike flew over.
Real certainly needed more care in front of goal. City, on the other hand, just needed more of the ball. When they did have it in the Real half, they looked capable. Silva curled a shot at Lunin on the hour and the keeper parried.
Then Foden eased in to some space and saw a shot blocked when he should possibly have passed inside to Haaland.
And then, six minutes later, it happened. The moment arrived. The goal that threatened to make everything good.
John Stones and Silva combined to feed Foden and, just as he did in the Manchester derby, he eased on to his left foot 20 yards from goal and drove the ball high across Lunin and into the top corner.
A draw would have been a heck of a result for City, given the way this game had gone. It would have been a steal. Momentum had shifted, though, and by the 71st minute City were in front.
![Minutes after Foden's equaliser, Josko Gvardiol scored a screamer to put City back in front](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/21/83431263-13289261-image-a-21_1712695101508.jpg)
Minutes after Foden’s equaliser, Josko Gvardiol scored a screamer to put City back in front
![The unlikely scorer celebrates with Jack Grealish after netting the game's fifth goal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/21/83431265-13289261-image-a-22_1712695133264.jpg)
The unlikely scorer celebrates with Jack Grealish after netting the game’s fifth goal
![Federico Valverde then smashed in his own wondergoal to make it 3-3 on the night](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/09/21/83431563-13289261-image-a-23_1712695777227.jpg)
Federico Valverde then smashed in his own wondergoal to make it 3-3 on the night
A pass short flat from Grealish on the left fed Gvardiol and his low shot flew just as truly as Foden’s had four minutes earlier.
This time the trajectory was flatter but it was too good for Lunin — would have been too good for any goalkeeper — and it found the far corner.
A victory would have been as precious to City as it had long looked unlikely.
With the Bernabeu shocked in to silence, it felt as though it could happen. Real Madrid suddenly looked beaten.
But this was a night of great goals and there was another to come. A cross from the left with 12 minutes left passed over the heads of everyone only for Valverde to meet the dropping ball with the sweetest of right foot volleys to send his team to Manchester next week with the tie in the balance.