In his faraway eyes, as he trudged down the tunnel at the Etihad, Angel Di Maria concealed a stack of painful memories.
He had let himself and his Paris Saint-Germain colleagues down and lost his head in the face of Manchester City’s calm resilience. With his ill-tempered stamp on Fernandinho, Di Maria became the second PSG player in the semi-final tie against Manchester City to be sent off. He recognised his team was on its way to elimination.
Di Maria had been in this dispiriting zone before, some 10 years earlier, exasperated by a Champions League semi slipping from his side’s grasp against a Pep Guardiola team, who, having weathered some early hurry-up from eager opponents, then exerted a control that became irresistible.
The previous time it happened to Di Maria, he was playing for Real Madrid, and they went down to 10 men – Pepe red carded – just after the hour on the way to losing 3-1 on aggregate to Guardiola’s Barcelona.
By the time that season’s final had been won, Guardiola’s team beating Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley, Pep’s Barca side were being hailed as the greatest club side in history.
What would not have been forecast back in 2011 was that Guardiola would wait a decade to reach his third European Cup final as a coach, that a manager whose brilliant reputation earned him the trust of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City would keep stumbling in the knockout phase, again and again, through eight Champions League campaigns.
Opponents have found various means to unpick Pep’s plans. There was the semi-final stymied by a crabby Chelsea in his final season at Barcelona; there were a trio successive last-four exits with a Bayern that had Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery in their pomp, then Robert Lewandowski up front.
As for the City agony in Europe, it has been extended so long it came to seem like a jinx: Monaco, Lyon, Tottenham and Liverpool were all underdogs when they knocked out Guardiola's men.
Gallery: City's run to Champions League final
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Manchester City's Champions League journey started with a 3-1 victory over Porto on October 21. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan scored their second goal from a free-kick (above), with Sergio Aguero and substitute Ferran Torres netting the others. AFP -
Porto's striker Moussa Marega tangles with Manchester City's midfielder Rodri during the opening night of their Champions League campaign. AFP -
Matchday two was a 3-0 win at Marseille on October 27. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan celebrates after scoring the second goal again, with Torres and Raheem Sterling bagging the others. AFP -
Manchester City's forward Raheem Sterling is tackled by Marseille's defender Jordan Amavi at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille. AFP -
Manchester City's next group stage win came on November 3, a 3-0 thrashing of Olympiakos at the Etihad Stadium. Torres, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo were the goalscorers. AFP -
Riyad Mahrez runs with the ball during the match against Olympiakos at the Etihad Stadium. AFP -
It was a tighter affair against the same opposition on November 25, with Phil Foden netting the only goal of the game at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece. Getty -
Action during the Champions League Group C stage match between Olympiakos and Manchester City at Karaiskakis Stadium. Getty -
City dropped points in the group stage for the first time on December 1 when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Porto at the Dragao stadium. AFP -
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson jumps to clear the ball during the draw at Porto. AFP -
Manchester City got back to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Marseille on December 9, with goals from Torres, Aguero and Alvaro Gonzalez putting the ball in his own net. AFP -
Aguero celebrates after he scores his team's second goal against Marseille at the Etihad Stadium. AFP -
City were then through to the knockout stages and Borussia Monchengladbach and a comfortable 2-0 win with goals from Bernardo Silva and Jesus in the neutral Puskas Arena in Budapest on February 24 saw them take control of the tie. AFP -
Monchengladbach forward Alassane Plea and Manchester City's midfielder Phil Foden battle for the ball in Budapest. AFP -
The return leg was on March 16, and another 2-0 win saw City go through 4-0 on aggregate. Kevin de Bruyne and Gundogan were the scorers. AFP -
Manchester City's Silva battles with Monchengladbach midfielder Hannes Wolf at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. AFP -
Quarter-final time and Borussia Dortmund were the tricky opponents, with the first leg on April 6. Here, Foden celebrates scoring his team's second goal in the 90th minute of a 2-1 win, after De Bruyne had given them the lead. Still all up for grabs in the second leg. AFP -
City goalkeeper Ederson punches the ball away from the head of Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud at the Etihad Stadium. AFP -
The quarter-final second leg was in Germany on April 14, and the alarm bells were sounding when City fell behind. However, goals from Riyad Mahrez and Foden saw a 2-1 win and aggregate 4-2 scoreline to clinch place in the last four. AFP -
Manchester City midfielder Foden scores the second goal during the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Borussia Dortmund. AFP -
Manchester City in the last four and drawn against Paris Saint-German, last season's beaten finalists. A superb 2-1 first leg win in Paris, with goals from De Bruyne and Mahrez, gave City the edge. AFP -
Mahrez celebrates after scoring the second goal at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 28. AFP -
A Champions League final place up for grabs, and City eased through against PSG in the second leg, two goals from the brilliant Mahrez securing a 4-0 aggregate victory on May 4. AFP -
City's Kyle Walker, right, and his teammates celebrate after winning the Champions League semi final, second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. Next up, the Champions League final in Istanbul on May 29. EPA
Among the warming, uplifting details of an unseasonably cold night in Manchester on Tuesday was the introduction of Sergio Aguero five minutes from the end.
No City player has suffered the frustrations of the club’s peculiar battle with the knockout phase of club football’s most prestigious competition as Aguero. He was there the last time City played a semi, the bland, 1-0 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in 2016.
Guardiola took over after that, but the angst remained. Aguero scored twice and set up another in the last-16 tie against Monaco and still ended up on the wrong side of an away-goals elimination; Aguero would be hastened back from injury to try to salvage, in vain, a losing quarter-final against Liverpool the next year.
In 2019, he was entitled to believe that by setting up one goal and scoring another to put City 4-3 ahead against Tottenham Hotspur, a glass ceiling had finally been shattered. Spurs went through.
Last August, Aguero watched from the sidelines, nursing an injured knee as Lyon ambushed City in the last eight.
Aguero’s last official fixture with City will be the European Cup final in Istanbul, his and his club’s first. He cannot expect to start it, but, if fit, will surely be given a role if City have by the closing stages established the same command they gained over PSG by the end of an epic, riveting semi.
Aguero has heard it be pointed out more than once that, until Tuesday night, no Guardiola team had ever reached a European final without Lionel Messi propelling them there.
That argument is now closed, and the City manager can now prepare for three weeks of wider comparison between this City and Barcelona’s champions of 2009 and 2011.
City may have no Messi, but they have Kevin de Bruyne, and the defensive unit Guardiola takes into his third European Cup final as a coach will look sturdier than the ones he lined up in his first two.
In 2009, for the 2-0 win over United in Rome, suspension and injury had ruled out three senior Barcelona defenders, so Yaya Toure was corralled into a makeshift back four; two years later, Carles Puyol, the captain, did not make the starting line-up, injured.
This time, Guardiola should have John Stones in full renaissance, Kyle Walker back at his best, Oleksandr Zinchenko fresh from a performance against PSG that ranks among his finest for City and Ruben Dias celebrated as the best signing of the season.
“When the difficult times come, we step up,” said Dias, blocker and interceptor in chief through the 180 minutes against PSG, and, in his own way, the standard-bearer of a club who have emphatically consigned all those brittle, losing knockout ties to the past.
PSG 1 City 2: player ratings
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PSG RATINGS: Keylor Navas - 7: Mistake when he passed the ball away just after half-hour that gave City a chance. Solid save from Foden just before half time. Waited for a City player to head a De Bruyne ball in – and watched as it went straight in the net. Navas was then fuming as City took the lead with the ball going through his wall. Saved a Foden header. AFP -
Alessandro Florenzi - 7: Had strike on goal inadvertently blocked by Verratti after 12 minutes and, like many of his teammates, was fantastic in the first half, frustrated and flustered in the second. EPA -
Marquinhos - 7: PSG’s captain put his side ahead after 15 minutes, losing his marker to glance a Di Maria corner into the net. Solid second half defending and had just made an important block before De Bruyne scored. Getty -
Presnel Kimpembe - 7: Comfortable and assured when City pressed, but culpable for his part in the wall which created gap for Mahrez’s free-kick to put City into the lead. AFP -
Mitchel Bakker - 7: The 20-year-old Dutch left back showed maturity with positioning, blocks and headed clearances but then looked shakier after the break as City dominated and got away with one mix-up with Navas. Reuters -
Leandro Paredes - 7: Brilliant first half, nightmare second. Headed a Neymar corner wide after 27 minutes as City struggled to defend PSG’s perfectly delivered corners. Cleared a dangerous City ball with a high boot and often too strong in the tackle for City’s protesting players. Booked in frustration after 69 as roles reversed in the second half – and gave away the free-kick that led to a goal. EPA -
Idrissa Gueye - 5: Tireless pressing in the midfield three meant City couldn’t get control in first half. Shielded the defence and moved forward well. Became frustrated in second half and made a terrible tackle, diving in on Gundogan’s Achilles tendon – for which he rightly received a straight red card. AFP -
Marco Verratti - 7: Vital cog in the PSG machine. Beautiful ball to Mbappe just after half hour. Brilliant in tight spaces and controlled the midfield pace in first half, but totally different in the second as City took their turn to control possession, the game and finally, the tie. AFP -
Angel Di Maria - 7: Superb corner to set up opening goal. His side’s set-pieces troubled City all night. Stamped on Cancelo’s foot in the second half but wasn’t booked. Spent a lot of time on the ground but still capable of amazing play. He brought the ball from his own corner flag to set up Neymar at one point. EPA -
Neymar - 6: Quick feet and creativity a threat when on the ball in the first half. Almost anonymous in the second half as he was starved of possession with City pressing higher. Booked. PA -
Kylian Mbappe - 5: French attacker has 37 goals so far this season but drew a blank here. Quick feet and pace saw him beat Stones and place the ball across the City goal. Fouled by Cancelo who was yellow carded. Getty -
SUBS: Danilo - (On for Di Maria 80') N/A. Brought on after Gueye was sent off. AFP -
Ander Herrera - (On for Paredes 83') N/A. Cross towards Marquinhos in a rare PSG second half attack. Reuters -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS Ederson - 7: Good stop to tip over a Neymar strike after 13 minutes and had no chance for PSG goal that was down to slack marking. Quick off line just before the hour to stop Mbappe getting through on goal. EPA -
Kyle Walker - 7: Not the most convincing of starts from the England right-back as PSG’s quick and fluent attacks caused City all sorts of problems but improved as match went on. Brilliant overlap and ball into box after 64 minutes but no one in middle to stick it in the net, which was a regular occurrence for City. Getty -
Ruben Dias - 8: Beaten to header by Paredes who headed just wide to nearly put home side 2-0 up as City struggled to cope with PSG’s superb deliveries from corners. Grew into the game and was excellent in second half. AP -
John Stones - 8: Centre-half returning from suspension and up against two the world’s finest attackers in Mbappe and Neymar. Beaten once by Mbappe but stuck to task impressively and the dynamic PSG duo were kept very quiet after break. PA -
Joao Cancelo - 5: Superb disguised ball to back post to pick out Silva whose volley was saved, but downhill from there. Earned deserved yellow card for foul on Mbappe after half an hour and cut a frustrated figure in the opening 45. Sloppy distribution and poor final ball so was no surprise when hooked after an hour. A rare off day for Portuguese. AP -
Ilkay Gundogan - 7: Midfielder lost Marquinhos for opening goal and was told in no uncertain terms to stick to his man by teammates at next PSG corner. Showed lovely turn of pace to skip past Neymar 10 minutes into second half. On receiving end of disgraceful challenge from behind by Gueye that saw PSG man sent-off. Reuters -
Rodri - 6: Caught in possession in first two minutes which gifted PSG early attack on goal and failed to get a grip in first half. Helped turn the tide in second half, though, as the momentum swung City’s way. Good run and ball into box in last 10 minutes that, again, needed a centre-forward at the end of it. PA -
Kevin De Bruyne - 7: City’s talisman attacked box down left after 38 minutes but his fine ball into middle was crying out for the centre-forward City needed on pitch. Enjoyed huge slice of luck when cross from left curled into far corner after 64 minutes. Booked for foul on Danilo with five minutes to go that PSG claimed was same as Gueye’s red, which it certainly wasn’t. EPA -
Bernardo Silva - 7: Back in starting line-up as Pep Guardiola again started with no out and out striker and forced first save out of Navas with volley while at full stretch from Cancelo cross. Set-up Foden for his glorious chance just before half-time. Buzzed around dangerously after break as City stepped up the gears. EPA -
Phil Foden - 7: Good ball into box to pick out Mahrez after 33 minutes. Then should have levelled the scores just before break when he fired straight at Navas with goal at his mercy after going for power rather than placement. Saw flicked header fly straight into Navas’ hands with quarter of an hour to go, then set out on lovely weaving run in last few minutes but could only direct shot with outside of his left boot straight at keeper. EPA -
Riyad Mahrez - 8: Beautiful early ball to find De Bruyne but then went quiet until half-hour mark when his dangerous header across six-yard box almost found Silva in middle. Curled free-kick through woeful PSG defensive wall to put City 2-1 up and slammed another shot wide late on. A handful throughout second half for PSG. AFP -
SUBS: Oleksandr Zinchenko – (On for Cancelo 61’) 7: A more reliable presence than the man he replaced, making some important tackles and interceptions. Reuters
