51�Թ�

Wayne Rooney did get a leveller and then powered in a superb shot from long range in stoppage time to give United a slender 3-2 lead at the halfway stage of the tie.

Real did not manage a shot on target until 10 minutes into the second half, while their leveller came about after an uncharacteristic mistake by William Saliba.

A late City leveller would have been an injustice as the hosts had their number once more in this magnificent stadium, this being their sixth win in eight games here.

The leveller he swept home from Darwin Nunez’s pass was his eighth goal of the season to go with seven assists.

Substitute Stones scrambled a leveller in the eighth minute of added time.