Manchester City showed a maturity in Madrid that suggests this could be their year in the Champions League.

Twelve months ago the Blues dominated both legs of the semi-final against Real, but lost the tie because of lapses in concentration and a failure to manage the games, when ahead.

This tie isn’t over, of course, but a 1-1 draw in the cauldron that is the Santiago Bernabeu, is a huge step towards qualification for the Final. Pep Guardiola’s first choice eleven, apart from the injured Nathan Ake, controlled the first half and most importantly dictated the tempo. 

When Vinicius Jr scored his stunning goal, it came against the run of the play but City didn’t panic. One of the hallmarks of this great team is that they fight for every ball. I know that sounds like a cliche and prompts phrases like, “they wanted it more”, and determination and a will to win are certainly a factor in any team game, but there’s more to it than that. 

Kevin De Bruyne’s wonderful low drive, that levelled the scores, owed as much to the brilliant team play that led to it. The effervescent Bernardo Silva didn’t assume the ball was going out of play in the build up and then Rodri, Grealish, Gundogan and eventually De Bruyne all played their part. 

I’ve mentioned before that the secret to this Pep’s team is the tremendous skill they all possess but also the hard word and togetherness they show. 

There was a twenty minute period during the second half that felt crucial to me. Watching from high up in the press box, which was in the fifth tier, I got a subbuteo’s eye view of proceedings. During that phase, Real were constantly a threat, but as well as the defenders and goalkeeper doing their job to perfection, the creative players mucked in and helped ride the storm. 

Had Carlo Ancelotti’s team scored a second, at that stage, the waves of sound from the Bernabeu would have increased but once De Bruyne struck, the crowd and the home team, lost momentum. 

Some of City’s key personnel gave everything they had against opposition who weren’t afraid to be more physical than their reputation suggests. 

Guardiola didn’t make the substitutions that might have helped De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva reach the end, without using their last reserves. For Sunday’s Premier League trip to Everton you can expect eight or nine team changes again. 

The big question in the media and if we’re being honest, among the fans too, is whether City will win the treble. When I speak to supporters, the older, battle hardened ones in particular, don’t want to use the T word! There are still potentially seven more games to go this season, with a Manchester derby at Wembley in the FA Cup Final, just a week before the Champions League Final. 

In the Premier League, Arsenal seem to have bounced back from the mauling they suffered at the Etihad Stadium, to keep the pressure on in the remaining games. City still have to go to Brighton and Brentford. Will the City players run out of energy? Winning the Treble would be amazing but there’s a reason why only one English team has achieved that goal so far. It’s exhausting just watching it unfold, imagine what it must be like to try to win all those remaining games. 

Pep denies that the Champions League is their priority but he’ll want the team he recognises as his strongest, fresh and raring to go, at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday, because while City are now the favourites to progress to Istanbul, this tie is far from over. One thing is for sure though, it’s great to be a Blue! 

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