It started out as a nostalgic night for Manchester City but they could afford to celebrate their past. They were not harmed by it as their present and future dominated instead.
Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad Stadium was an anticlimactic affair, cruelly curtailed. When Erling Haaland enveloped his old sidekick in a hug during his lap of honour, perhaps it was accompanied by an apology. Haaland was indirectly responsible for De Bruyne’s departure, his pace and power meaning the midfielder was sacrificed. While Napoli had signed City’s greatest ever player, they could trace their defeat to the man Pep Guardiola believes could become the Champions League’s record scorer.
