Pep Guardiola must hope they do not one day talk in Manchester of the night his team scored four against Real Madrid and still didn't make the final. That is the fear that stalks the Spaniard as his Manchester City side prepare for the return leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
On one hand, last week's performance against the 13-time winners of the European Cup shows just how far City have travelled since Guardiola arrived at the club in 2016. In beating Real 4-3 at the Etihad, City were far more superior to their opponents than the scoreline suggested.