The Belgian scored the equaliser for City after Vinicius Junior has opened the scoring for the hosts and defending European champions at the Santiago Bernabeu.
De Bruyne‘s 67th minute strike from the edge of the box proved enough to earn a draw for City with the tie now set to be decided at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday.
Match report | Real Madrid 1-1 City
With three shots on target in total and 25 successful passes, our No.17 was named Man of the Match by UEFA.
Speaking in his press conference after the game, Guardiola was quick to praise his midfield maestro.
“He knows how important he is for us,” he said.
“He made an incredible performance for many reasons and I’m happy for him. In this type of game in this competition - semi-finals and finals - you need your best players.
“Ederson and Kyle Walker were exceptional against one of the toughest opponents that you can face today worldwide. In general, everyone was really good.”
Click on the video above to hear all of Guardiola‘s thoughts...
