Carlo Ancelotti and his Brazilian striker Rodrygo said the same thing after this six-goal thriller, both admitting that the plan was to go to the Etihad next week with a lead that obliged Manchester City to chase the game and leave space for Real Madrid’s lethal counters.

They failed, just.

‘The idea was to take a small advantage,’ said Carlo Ancelotti. ‘We wanted to go there with the advantage,’ echoed Rodrygo as the trip to the scene of their biggest defeat last season loomed large.

Madrid are now banking on Kyle Walker NOT being fit to return and shackle Vinicius; on Jude Bellingham having a better game than he did at the Bernabeu; and on Eder Militao being ready to play the game of his life having not played 90 minutes for seven months.

Vinicius is now the Champions League top assist provider with five passes to goal and two of them helped Madrid draw level on Tuesday night. Ancelotti exposed City’s weakness down their right by playing Rodrygo wide left but having Vinicius drifting towards the same wing – the boys from Brazil destroyed Manchester City in the first half with Manuel Akanji walking a tightrope from his 37th minute yellow card.

Vinicius and Rodrygo exposed Man City's weakness by combining down Real Madrid's left

Vinicius was upset when he was taken off with four minutes left, in part it was because he was a caution from missing the second leg. Madrid are praying that he can unleash the same chaos in the second leg without having to face Walker who policed him so well last season.

Bellingham was in the same situation as Vinicius - one yellow from a suspension - and that distraction can’t have helped him on a difficult night when Ancelotti’s tactical rejig left him playing more to the right of the attack than he has been so far this season.

‘He has to be more involved in the creation,’ more said former Madrid player and current Spanish TV pundit Alvaro Benito. ‘He needs to play deeper and not with his back to goal as much. He was disappointing tonight.

His fellow radio pundit Alfredo Relaño added: ‘before tonight we didn’t know it was possible for him to have a bad game.’

Calling his performance ‘bad’ was an exaggeration but he has set the bar so high this season the comments were to be expected. Now he goes to City the club he turned down last summer because it was his dream to play for Real Madrid and the fate of the 14-times winners will rest in large part on him having a far better game.

The third key for Madrid in Manchester next Wednesday will be how they replace the banned Aurelien Tchouameni. The French midfielder was preferred to Spain defender Nacho and that illustrates what Ancelotti thinks of a player he might now need to rely on next week… unless Eder Militao says he’s ready to play the biggest game of the season.

Real Madrid play Mallorca at the weekend and Militao is likely to start that game to see how he feels. If after a long absence because of a cruciate tear he comes through with no reaction then he could play only his second match of the season with the task of helping Antonio Rudiger stop Erling Haaland and company.

The biggest take-away from the game in the Spanish capital was that this is now the undisputed 'Clasico' of European football.

There have now been 23 goals in the last five games between the two teams and with Pep Guardiola and Ancelotti on the two benches nothing any different is expected in seven days time.

Guardiola has won six of his 12 games managed at the Bernabeu with four defeats and only two defeats. The only coach that comes close to matching him is Ancelotti.

‘They didn’t expect me on the left because usually it’s Vini,’ said Rodrygo of Ancelotti's tactical surprise in the first half.

‘The team that makes the fewest errors in the second leg will go through,’ he added. That suggests a cagey second 90 minutes and everyone knows with these two teams and these two coaches that is the least possible of all scenarios imaginable.

It was May 17 last year when City put four past Real Madrid in the semi-finals. This is their chance for the Spanish take revenge. Whoever comes through they will be favourites to win the tournament. ‘Madrid never die’ was Marca’s match report headline. Thirteen months ago they did, now they must try avoid the same fate. They were left cursing on Tuesday night that they do so without a lead to take into the second leg.