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Fans hailed Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's performance against Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal at the Santiago Bernabeu. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate and there will be everything to play for in the second leg at the Etihad.
Vinicius Junior gave Los Blancos the lead with a wonder goal in the 36th minute of the match. De Bruyne, though, equalized for the team with a stunner from outside the box in the 67th minute.
The Belgian midfielder launched a piledriver from outside the box after being set up by Ilkay Gundogan. De Bruyne's international teammate, Thibaut Courtois, who was in goal for Real Madrid, could do nothing about the sensational strike.
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Apart from his moment of magic, De Bruyne completed three crosses and played three long balls at the Santiago Bernabeau. He also managed three shots on target.
De Bruyne has proven himself to be a big game player on numerous occasions for Pep Guardiola's side. Fans pointed the fact out as one of them wrote on Twitter:
"Kevin de Bruyne is a big game player, best midfielder in the world for a reason. We love you."
Another fan claimed:
"Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne are certified Manchester City LEGENDS."
City and Madrid will square off in the second leg on May 17. Yet another masterclass from De Bruyne could help the English club reach the final.
Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter after De Bruyne's performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg:
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne was out injured before facing Real Madrid
Kevin De Bruyne picked up a knock during City's 4-1 win over Arsenal at Etihad on April 27 and missed their matches against Fulham and West Ham. He made his return to the first team for the clash against Leeds United on May 6.
De Bruyne's performance in the Spanish capital once again emphasized the player's importance in Pep Guardiola's team. In 43 matches for the Manchester City this season, he has scored nine goals and provided 27 assists.
Notably, the Belgian midfielder already has 18 Premier League assists this season and could break the all-time assist record if he gets three more assists in City's remaning four matches.
