Kevin De Bruyne had been the subject of unwavering attention from an almost flawless Atletico Madrid defensive line. Everywhere the Manchester City talisman attempted to weave his magic on the pitch, it felt as though a door was slammed in his face and, as this Champions League quarterfinal first leg entered its final stage, the reigning Spanish champions had to be starting to conclude that they had him and City under total control. 

But it takes only one one split second for De Bruyne to make a vital difference. The Belgium superstar, who marked his 50th Champions League appearance with another amazing performance, timed his run mesmerizingly to drill a thundering strike into the far corner after being played in by a brilliant Phil Foden.  

You could always count on De Bruyne in the tightest of games. Eight of his 11 goals in the Champions League have been scored in the knockout stages.

Facing Atletico's famed and stubborn resistance, City had to be patient and their manager Pep Guardiola battled to suppress the frustration he felt when his team could not register more lethal efforts on target despite dominating possession.  

De Bruyne almost added a late second, only to be denied by a block on the line from Stefan Savic. That proved to be the final meaningful action on a tense night at the Etihad Stadium. 

After the full-time whistle, however, City players' beaming smiles and passionate celebrations in front of their home fans encapsulated how much it meant to take a one-goal lead to Madrid for the second leg next week.

"The first half was tight, in the second half we had a couple of chances and it was good that we took one. I made the run and Phil [Foden] found me perfectly," observed De Bruyne, who was deservingly awarded Player of the Match. 

"It is very hard. They played almost five at the back and five in midfield, it is very difficult to find the spaces," he added. "We have to stay composed. 1-0 is 1-0. I expect similar over there in Spain. If the game is tight they will have to attack a little bit more." 

The stance was echoed by Guardiola, who rued his side's inability to extend their advantage.  

"I didn't expect to win three or four nil. I knew who we were facing. They have been together for many years," he said. "They defend so well, so compact and so deep. They want you to be anxious. We played an incredible top side who are difficult to face but it is a good result."

Guardiola singled out De Bruyne for special praise. "He is in the best moment of the season right now," the tactician beamed. "He is sharp, quick and positive. His influence in our game is massive. He made an exceptional goal with the combination with Phil." 

As for the return leg in Madrid on April 13, Guardiola was equally bullish. "We will go there to score and try and win again," he declared. "We can attack a bit better. We go there not to defend the result but to try and win the game." 

In the night's other quarterfinal first leg, Liverpool made their dominance count to earn a 3-1 victory at Benfica.