Yeah, so what if it’s only the group stages, a Champions League meeting with Barcelona is still a pretty big deal.
And if you’re Pep Guardiola, the fact that it’s your old club lining up against you only adds to the sense of occasion.
Having fallen behind to a Lionel Messi(who else?) goal in the first half, City managed to pull themselves level courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan before the break. Early in the second half, things got even better for the home side as Kevin de Bruyne’s dipping free kick gave them a 2-1 lead against the Spanish champions.
A win against Barca was imperative if City were to remain in the the two qualification places for the last 16. With that in mind, you can’t blame Pep Guardiola for his wild celebrations in the seconds following De Bruyne’s free kick…
Pep just lost it after that goal… pic.twitter.com/7x4ekB5xS0
— Si Lloyd (@SmnLlyd5) November 1, 2016
Or maybe not… As ever, Pep remained ice cool, knowing full well that his side still had a long, long way to go before they make it to full time.
But they made it over the line and we’re sure he might have allowed himself a smile in the solitude of his car on the way home because showing emotions in public is so not Pep.
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