MADRID -- Manchester City's first Champions League semifinal will only be special if they get past Real Madrid, according to defender Gael Clichy.
Their semifinal clash with Real Madrid is finely balanced following the 0-0 draw in the first leg at the Etihad last week and a score draw at the Bernabeu on Wednesday would be enough to see City reach the final.
Manuel Pellegrini's side have already progressed further in the competition than they have done before -- having gone out in the group stage twice and round of 16 twice in the past four years.
However, Clichy, who was with Arsenal when they reached the final in 2006, insists the players are ready to make history and take their place in Milan.
The French defender told a news conference: "It's a big game for the club and I know how lucky we are because it's not every season that you play in a semifinal of the Champion League.
"It's a special moment for the players and club but the moment will only be special if we go through tomorrow. We're ready for it and we're looking forward to making history and history would be to go through tomorrow."
City boss Pellegrini, who will leave the club at the end of the season after three years, believes City will need to deliver one of their best performances since he joined the club.
But he insists his side have shown they are capable of getting a result, having lost only one of their Champions League games away from home this season.
The Chilean said: "We will need a very good performance if we want to reach the final. Already in the domestic league we have won a couple of titles. It's the history of the club so to do it we must play a very good game.
"Not just this season but the three seasons in the Champions League this team did it very well away, especially last season when we forced to beat Roma in Rome and also we beat Bayern Munich.
"This season in the quarterfinals we had a very good draw against Paris Saint-Germain, we beat Dynamo Kiev, Borussia Monchengladbach and Sevilla away.
"We'll try and do exactly the same. The pressure will be very high in the Bernabeu but we have the personality and the football to beat them."
Pellegrini says that City striker Sergio Aguero could be key although he has not scored in his last four Champions League games, having failed to register a shot on target in the first leg at the Etihad and missing a penalty in the previous round against PSG.
The Argentine was rested in Sunday's Premier League defeat to Southampton and Pellegrini says he could make the difference at the Bernabeu.
He added: "I always say that the big games are always decided by the best technical players. I hope tomorrow we will see -- in a good performance."