"We need to do something otherworldly," said Karim Benzema after Real Madrid played out another Houdini act in the Champions League to get away from just 4-3 down from Tuesday's outright exhilarating elimination round, first leg against Manchester City.
Benzema set up what ought to be a unique night at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 4 by scoring two times to take his count for the season to 41 goals in as many games.
Without the Frenchman, Madrid's journey for a fourteenth European crown would have since a long time ago sunk.
Benzema scored full go-arounds against both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the beyond two rounds as Real navigated a precarious situation to arrive at the last four for the 30th time.
Paradoxically, this was only City's third excursion to the elimination rounds, yet the English bosses advocated their status as competition top picks on the night the Etihad Stadium may at last have warmed to the Champions League.
The opposition's song of praise was again robustly booed before start off by City fans who have not failed to remember the monetary fair play charges laid against their club by Uefa.
Had City not effectively engaged the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they would have been restricted from the Champions League for the beyond two seasons.
All things being equal, they are an hour and a half away from arriving at the last briefly continuous season.
It was whenever the City first fans had something to cheer in an elimination round.
Whenever the sides met at this stage in 2016, Madrid edged a cagey tie 1-0 on total.
Last season, City cleared aside Paris Saint-Germain however before void arenas due to Covid limitations.
This time it required only 10 minutes for Madrid to grip on to remain in the tie.
Kevin De Bruyne headed in following 90 seconds before Gabriel Jesus multiplied the house side's lead.
Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden ought to have put Real concealed, however PSG and Chelsea had comparative laments just to be stung by the endurance senses of Carlo Ancelotti's men.
"Whenever you lose it isn't great," said Ancelotti, excusing ideas he ought to be satisfied to have gotten away from still alive in the tie.
"It is not difficult to peruse this game, we were great ready and awful without it."
THE HOLY GRAIL
Yet again it was avoided to Benzema to dig Los Blancos with regards to the soil by splitting the shortage before halftime.
A wild last part seethed from one finish to another as Foden and Bernardo Silva broadened City's benefit, just to be fixed back by Vinicius Junior's shocking performance run and finish before Benzema had the last word from the penalty spot.
"Nobody can say they didn't appreciate it," said Guardiola. "It was a decent commercial for football."
Eleven years have passed since Guardiola last lifted the European Cup as Barcelona coach.
That very year City started their Champions League venture, supported by the abundance of Abu Dhabi that has made them the prevailing power in English football over the course of the last 10 years.
Presently in Guardiola's 6th season, overcoming Europe remains their sacred goal.
There has been a lot of disappointment at the disappointments en route, especially when Guardiola has now and again attempted to be excessively astute considerably.
In any case, seeing Madrid being put to the sword with the eyes of the world on the Etihad was the reason City have contributed such a huge amount to carry the Spaniard to east Manchester and keep him around longer than he has remained at some other club.
"There isn't one protest about the outcome, the presentation," added Guardiola. "I'm so glad and unquestionably content with the manner in which we performed."
A definitive trial of whether City are prepared to win the Champions League anticipates one week from now when the cauldron of the Bernabeu will anticipate another Real restoration.
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