Champions League top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was a disappointed onlooker as his Real Madrid side played out a moderate blazing 0-0 draw at Manchester City in Tuesday's semi-last first leg.
Harm kept the Portuguese genius from adding to his 16-objective count and in his nonappearance the guests were not able proselyte the modest bunch of chances they made, with an incredible late Joe Hart recovery to deny Pepe the nearest either side went to an objective at the Etihad Stadium.
As an event, City's first semi-last appearance in the opposition was a let-down, however by keeping Madrid from indenting an away objective the tie's underdogs defended their trusts of achieving the last in front of one week from now's arrival leg at the Bernabeu.
"We played an exceptionally extraordinary amusement and guarded well," said City administrator Manuel Pellegrini.
"This season we have played exceptionally well away. Presently we go to the Bernabeu with the same mentality as playing at home.
"Genuine Madrid must assault a tad bit more. You can't take a lot from the main leg. We can see from the second leg who will experience."
Pellegrini, however, will be without David Silva for the second leg after he was constrained off by a hamstring harm, while his Madrid partner Zinedine Zidane was left sweating on the wellness of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, who went off at half-time.
"I'm content with the diversion," said Zidane, who communicated trust that both his weak advances will be fit for the arrival leg.
"We had the ball more in the second half, had two or three shots. We're a smidgen baffled, since we conceivably merited more.
"Prior to this diversion it was 50-50. I believe it's still the same, 50-50."
Zidane's closet breakdown
City's semi-last entry was an occasion seven and a half years really taking shape for the club's Emirati proprietors and there was a deliberately organize oversaw endeavor to create an environment preceding commencement, with fans given blue and silver foil banners and a whirlwind of streamers welcome the groups.
The star fascination, oh dear, was on the seat, glaring in a dark Real Madrid anorak. Ronaldo assumed his position among the meeting authorities in the wake of coming up short a pre-match wellness test on a thigh strain.
City appeared decide not to give their visitors a chance to sink into a cadence and with Fernandinho setting the rhythm for their squeezing, they did precisely that.
Yet, with neither side ready to make any odds, the most outstanding demonstration of the primary half was the flight of Silva after he harmed himself in a sliding test on Gareth Bale that earned him a booking, which saw 19-year-old Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho join the quarrel.
Benzema, a pre-match question with a knee issue, was supplanted at half-time by Jese and regardless of the touchline admonishments of Zidane, who split his trousers for the second Champions League match running, his side couldn't make the leap forward.
When they belatedly hit the objective, Sergio Ramos lingering palpably to meet Toni Kroos' corner from the privilege with a firm header, Hart spared serenely.
Furthermore, when they schemed to beat Hart, Jese circling a header towards objective from Dani Carvajal's conservative cross, the crossbar acted the hero.
City began the second half with a left-foot sighter from Sergio Aguero that shrieked over the bar, yet they didn't undermine again until a stoppage-time Kevin De Bruyne free-kick that Keylor Navas tipped over.
In the minutes before that, the guests had begun to thump on the entryway.
After Bale had given City an alarm by twisting barely wide from the edge of the case, Hart delivered two showings of the well sharpened sharp reflexes that have acted the hero such a large number of times on huge European evenings.
To start with, he stood out his left boot to redirect away a descending header from Casemiro and minutes after the fact a starfish-style piece kept Pepe from grabbing a late champ from point-clear range.
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