There had been a fitness test with a difference. The Bayern Munich manager had been a doubt but a virus could not prevent Vincent Kompany from taking up his place on the touchline.
No wonder. Clearly Kompany knew what to expect. He didn’t want to miss this. If it proves an irrelevant classic, this was hugely entertaining nonetheless. Perhaps it was inconclusive, with no winner, and maybe such group games are more inevitable when these clubs are likely to get top-eight finishes, but it was terrific – a thriller laced with high-class contributions from a cast list of luminaries.
