THAT’S SPECIAL BRU

Pep’s heroes in the driving seat as brilliant De Bruynestrike cancels out thunderbolt from Vinicius Jnr

KEVIN DE BRUYNE came to Manchester City’s rescue last night with a trademark stunning strike.

As he has done so often, the brilliant Belgian playmaker (celebrating, left) dragged City out of a hole, his sweetlystruck 67th-minute equaliser ensuring it was honours even in the Bernabeu.

All the talk before the game was of City getting revenge for last year’s agonising semi-final extratime defeat to Real Madrid, with a place in the final within their grasp.

While this result did not serve to full avenge that heartbreaking exit, it went a long way to exorcising it, with City showing great resolve to earn a draw.

De Bruyne’s strike extended City’s unbeaten run to 21 games, while boss Pep Guardiola and his players will fancy themselves to get the job done at home a week today, when they host the holders at the Etihad.

BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand said: “City can away from here with their heads held high.”

A showdown between the two best sides in Europe, this was effectively the final, with the victor the overwhelming favourite to go on to lift the trophy against either of the Milan sides awaiting.

On the eve of the game, Guardiola warned his players not to be consumed by revenge for last season’s dramatic exit so close to getting over the line.

Leading 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate, Real scored in the 90th and 91st minutes, before winning the tie in extra-time after City’s implosion. The English champions could have gone the same way when they went behind here, but it is a measure of their collective strength of character and spirit that they fought back.

This season Real had already eliminated Premier League opponents in Liverpool and Chelsea, and were looking to make it a hattrick of English scalps.

The first chance of the game went City’s way after eight minutes, Thibaut Courtois palming away a De Bruyne effort.

Rodri tested Courtois moments later with a longcome

range strike, the Real keeper getting down low to block it.

Just as they did in the both legs of the semi-final a year ago, City dominated possession and dictated the pace and tempo of the game.

John Stones started at the back, but drifted into his now familiar midfield role whenever City had the ball.

But the longer City failed to turn their dominance of possession into the hard currency of a goal, they remained vulnerable.

And so it proved. Eduardo Camavinga exchanged passes with Luka Modric in the 36th minute, then set off on a surging forward run towards City’s goal.

The French defender slipped the ball inside to Vinicius Jnr and, with City’s defence backing off, the Brazilian (right) unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard shot which flew past Ederson.

It was a brutal reminder to City – as if they needed one after last season – of Real’s ability to conjure something from nothing and turn a game on its head.

City had been in complete control up until that point, but the goal sapped their early swagger and they paid the price for not scoring when on top. When the away side did manage to threaten they were thwarted, David Alaba executing a perfectly-timed challenge to stop Erling Haaland as he prepared to shoot in the 55th minute.

But they got the equaliser their endeavour merited. Ilkay Gundogan laid the ball off to De Bruyne, who swept a rasping 22-yard shot beyond the reach of his compatriot Courtois.

In the final minute, Ederson pulled off a brilliant save at full stretch to deny Aurelien Tchouameni and set up an epic second leg next week.