Manchester City bowed out of the Champions League with their pride, if not their defence intact, following a valiant display against a team of so many talents so prematurely written off.
There is no shame in succumbing to Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Dani Alves but what will frustrate City is that they handicapped themselves by not buying a high-class centre-half last summer.
As with Arsenal and centre-forwards, City’s failure to strengthen at centre-back cost them dear. Martin Demichelis erred badly when Messi came calling at the Etihad. Joleon Lescott got his wires crossed and legs tangled when Messi visited City’s penalty area after 67 minutes at the Nou Camp.
If only Vincent Kompany had some proper company alongside him. Kompany was brilliant in this second leg, intercepting, tackling and even equalising before Alves restored Barcelona’s lead and confirmed their place in the quarter-finals.
Kompany is such a model professional, whole-heartedly committed to being the very best leader of the team and ambassador for the club, that one would have needed a heart of granite not to have some sympathy for City’s captain as he shook hands with the victors, his European dream wrecked for another year.
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