Phil Foden rues missed opportunity despite Manchester City’s thrilling victory over Real Madrid

‘We could have killed them off’: Phil Foden rues missed opportunity despite Manchester City’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid in Champions League semi-final first leg

  • Manchester City still have plenty to do to reach the Champions League final 
  • The home side let slip a two-goal advantage three times in a thrilling first-leg
  • Karim Benzema scored a Panenka penalty to keep Real Madrid in the tie 

Phil Foden bemoaned Manchester City’s missed opportunity to ruthlessly kill Real Madrid’s ambitions of reaching the Champions League final.

With just a slender lead after the 4-3 victory in the first leg, it leaves City with work to do at the Bernabeu next week if they are to compete in consecutive European finals.

Foden – who scored City’s third of a barnstorming semi-final first leg – saw a shot blocked at point-blank range by Dani Carvajal as Real hung on.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva both scored Manchester City’s thrilling victory over Real Madrid

‘We started really well and could have killed them off. In these games, we need to take more chances,’ Foden said.

‘We are playing a side that have won the Champions League many times and if we give the ball away they are going to punish us. It is something we need to work on in the second leg.’ 

Bernardo Silva, who fired home a stunning fourth in the 74th minute to give the home side a two-goal advantage for the third time on the night, also felt City could have enjoyed a bigger margin of victory.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola was left wondering what might have been after slender victory

Man City boss Pep Guardiola was left wondering what might have been after slender victory

He said: ‘I think the first 20 minutes, we were so, so good, the way we pressed, controlled the game, and created chances. 

‘Over the 90 minutes, it felt like we could have won with a better score. Unfortunately, we were not able to take advantages of our two-goal differences. That’s the Champions League. We played against one of the best teams in the world. On to the next game.

‘We still won the first game. I know it’s just 90 minutes, and we have 90 minutes left. I think the fans should be proud of us, and the team should be proud of the work that we did. They took their chances. We could have taken a bit more. 

‘Very good game from us, I think. It was frustrating (the penalty). At that time, we were controlling the game so well with possession. That came out of nowhere.’

Kevin De Bruyne opens the scoring with a header from Riyad Mahrez's cross from the right

Kevin De Bruyne opens the scoring with a header from Riyad Mahrez’s cross from the right 

Karim Benzema dinks his penalty down the middle to cut City's lead in the tie to just one goal

Karim Benzema dinks his penalty down the middle to cut City’s lead in the tie to just one goal

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk