Titanic battle at Etihad

Football Soccer - Manchester City v Stoke City - Barclays Premier League - Etihad Stadium - 23/4/16Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero Action Images via Reuters / Craig Brough LivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

THE hype surrounding Manchester City’s first leg semi-final clash with Real Madrid tonight is as emotionally intense as one would expect.

This club, chasing a first-ever European Champions League crown and making their debut in the past four of the competition, sit on the threshold of carving out a nice piece of history for themselves.