On the biggest night of Manchester City's Premier League campaign, there was still time to plan for the Treble.
Girona manager Michael Sanchez was one of those at the Etihad to witness the demolition of Arsenal on Wednesday night, and Pep Guardiola will have been paying full attention when the pair met after the surprise results in La Liga days earlier. Girona smashed Real Madrid 4-2 to all but end the league hopes of City's Champions League opponents, who trail Barcelona by 11 points with seven games to go.
As the Blues know, Carlo Ancelotti's men are a different beast when it comes to the Champions League - yet such a defeat is a reminder of their frailties. And, given Girona are part of the City Football Group (CFG), Guardiola can take advantage of the connections to get a fresh perspective on exactly how to make the Spanish super club suffer as City look to avenge the pain of last season's semi-final exit.
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If that helps City out, their owners will also have been delighted at Girona's win for other reasons. The 4-2 victory all but confirms that they will be playing in the top flight next year as well, pushing them past the 40-point mark and into 10th on their first season back in the division.
Having a team in your organisation in such a competitive league is incredibly handy for any loan moves for players that Guardiola rates but knows won't play as much as they want in a campaign. Sergio Gomez was lined up to go there this season before a U-turn on left-backs by the club and James McAtee had the option but chose Sheffield United (which has worked out very well for him).
The 4-2 victory was also a triumph for striker Taty Castellanos, who scored all four goals to make history. Two weeks after deleting his social media during an emotional reaction to missing a golden chance at Camp Nou to beat Barcelona, the 24-year-old became the first to score four against Real since Robert Lewandowski ten years ago and the first in La Liga since 1947.
It is impossible to look into the Castellanos story without delving into the world of CFG and their clubs around the world. The Argentine had his first big break at Atletico Torque in Uruguay, before earning a move to New York City that saw him win the MLS Golden Boot in 2021 and have 13 goals from 17 games the following season.
That attracted Argentine giants River Plate to a player they had rejected as a youngster - forcing him to start his professional career away from the country of his birth - but they were unwilling to meet New York's valuation. Castellanos wanted to test his skills in Europe and without too many offers CFG gave the player the chance in Spain on loan at Girona.
If hitting double figures in La Liga wasn't enough already to prompt clubs to test New York City this summer, scoring four goals against Real Madrid is definitely a way to get noticed. The forward has even spoken since of a dream of playing alongside fellow Argentine Julian Alvarez at the Etihad, in what would be the ultimate ladder through the group should it ever happen, but even if not a player valued at £13m looks certain to have other opportunities this summer.
Castellanos has been supported at every step by CFG and both are benefitting from the partnership. While the multi-club operation has its critics in the game, the fact that more and more leading clubs are looking to follow it speaks to the success of it and Castellanos is the latest example of how it can provide multiple benefits.
If the four-goal striker can help Guardiola and Erling Haaland for their Champions League tie, City bosses will have even more reason to celebrate.
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