The Manchester City fans high in the north-east stand of the Bernabéu who belted out Blue Moon weren’t the only ones who had enjoyed watching Real Madrid lose on Wednesday night. For Barcelona supporters, any defeat for their rivals is to be celebrated and all the more so if it is inflicted by Pep Guardiola, but this carried still greater significance, bringing a surge of hope. As City fans sang in the stadium, 370 miles away Sport prepared its front page. The picture showed the manager pointing, by the headline: “Pep, you show us the way.”
Four days later Barcelona follow City into the same arena seeking the same outcome. From Guardiola to Lionel Messi, it is the stuff of nightmares for Madrid. Their vulnerability suddenly exposed, there were lessons for others to learn. Sport hoped so, certainly, and was not alone. Below the City fans, sitting in a glass-fronted box was Quique Setién and the Barcelona manager’s assistant, Eder Sarabia, working towards their first clásico.
Related: Manchester City secure famous win at Real thanks to De Bruyne and Jesus
Related: There is something shifting at Real Madrid, some sense of vulnerability | Sid Lowe
Related: Griezmann rescues Barcelona after Mertens levels Napoli scoring record
Continue reading...