Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid: 5 Talking Points as Pep Guardiola's Citizens eliminate Los Blancos | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Raphael Varane's catastrophic defensive errors will dominate headlines, but Manchester City were duly rewarded for their intense pressing from the front against La Liga champions Real Madrid.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus mean Pep Guardiola's men have booked their place in this delayed season's Champions League quarter-finals, emerging victorious with a 4-2 aggregate score.
Karim Benzema levelled the scoring on the evening with a well-taken header in the first half, but it proved a false dawn for Los Blancos - who started slowly and were punished.
While their suspended captain Sergio Ramos watched helplessly from the stands, his teammates crucially faltered against top opposition here.
Manchester City were unafraid to take risks, and despite a bold team selection by Guardiola, his side could have had more than their two goals on the evening.
Thibaut Courtois made smart saves from Jesus and Sterling twice in the second-half, during an evening where his defensive teammates didn't exude confidence.
Without further ado, here's a look at five talking points from an intriguing 90 minutes where Manchester City have booked their place in Lisbon next week:
#5 Fernandinho in central defence: what about Otamendi-Stones?
Although he's played there regularly this season, Manchester City's evergreen Fernandinho remains a defensive-minded midfielder, and his new centre-back role was more necessity than choice - given Nicolas Otamendi's dwindling form as well as injuries to John Stones and Aymeric Laporte at different stages this season.
He played alongside the latter here and although far from a disastrous display, the 35-year-old looked out of place against Karim Benzema. It's to be expected, considering the Frenchman's tactical nous and attacking capabilities, but also made you wonder why Otamendi-Stones - both on the bench - weren't preferred.
Especially if you rewind back to Manchester City's first-leg win, where Otamendi-Laporte was the starting partnership until the latter limped off with a first-half injury.
It's fair to suggest Fernandinho no longer possesses the mobility to contend with a Modric-Casemiro-Kroos midfield trio, but starting him ahead of the aforementioned pair was a brave decision that worked well for Guardiola.
Laporte was busier (three clearances, two interceptions, one tackle and block) while involved in build-up play (completed 9 of 11 long balls, 93% pass success). Still, with Nathan Ake's arrival made official earlier this week, it raises questions.
Will one or both central defenders be departing Manchester City this summer? Eric Garcia rejecting a contract extension doesn't bode well either, as far as the Citizens' options in that area are concerned.
#4 Preferred to David and Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan seizes opportunity
After an encouraging first leg display at the Bernabeu, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan would have been quietly expecting to start the return fixture.
But after 163 days between the two legs, where the coronavirus pandemic suspended sport, domestic campaigns were eventually finished, and the German deep-lying playmaker didn't exactly flourish, he might have been less convinced.
However, he did start and although he's flattered to deceive a lot in big games - especially since signing his contract extension twelve months ago - he was among Manchester City's best performers here in the most prominent fixture of their season.
Typically confident in possession (60/63 passes complete, 95% accuracy), he was an ever-present threat. Being able to dart through the middle third with freedom, the 29-year-old relished the opportunity to continually unlock a Real backline that were flagging with worrying frequency.
Only Manchester City's creative talisman de Bruyne - who else - created more key passes (9) than his four over the 90 minutes, while he completed two successful dribbles and not shying away from his defensive duties either.
With two tackles, one interception and block, he didn't lose a single ground duel against the likes of Luka Modric and Casemiro. If he took some power off his second-half pass for Sterling in the area, he'd probably have an assist too - capping a quietly impressive display here.