"You pinch yourself" - Manchester City star Jack Grealish opens up on heart-warming message from mum before Champions League clash with Real Madrid

Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish has revealed the heart-warming message he got from his mother ahead of his side's UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday (May 9).

The two teams drew 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 27-year-old explained that his mum reminded him of how he dreamed of such big nights when he was a kid.

“I had a text from my mum before the game saying these are the nights you dreamed of as a kid. You pinch yourself," he told Manchester City's website.

It was a massive and highly entertaining game as the Premier League giants took on the Spanish heavyweights in the week's most anticipated fixture in Madrid. Both sides came out with a strong determination to take the win but ended up sharing the spoils.

Real Madrid drew first blood when Vinicius Junior produced a sublime moment to break the deadlock in the first half. However, the Cityzens fought hard to get back into the tie. Their efforts bore fruit when Kevin De Bruyne stepped up and restored parity with a sensational finish in the 67th minute.

Grealish, who contributed in the build-up to the goal, couldn't help but praise the Belgian's incredible effort:

“I said to myself that we’ll only score from a shot from the edge of the box,” he said. “We had a few in the first half. When it fell to Kev, it was unbelievable, man. We see it every day in training. You wouldn’t choose anyone else for it to fall to."

He continued:

“They had their chances; we had a few as well. I really enjoyed it. I loved it. You can have nerves. These are the nights you play football for. These are the nights you dream of playing in. It’s like a dream come true, really."

Manchester City and Real Madrid lock horns in the second leg of the tie at the Etihad on Wednesday (May 17) with a place in the final at stake.

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Luka Modric says Real Madrid deserved to beat Manchester City

It was a highly entertaining game between Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Spanish capital.

Los Blancos midfielder Luka Modric said that Carlo Ancelotti's men deserved to go home with a better outcome from the clash at the Bernabeu.

"We merited a better result than this," he said via BBC. "But we'll enter the second leg with the same confidence and optimism that we can win over there. Neither team comes away from this with a big advantage. The tie is open, about 50-50 - and we were pretty sure that nothing would be settled tonight."

Madrid lost 4-3 on their last visit to the Etihad in the Champions League last four, triumphing 6-5 on aggregate.