In the end it was all too easy for Manchester City. They were just too good for the best of the rest in Europe.
If they were unlucky to have to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid last week, this week's second leg saw them so dominant that they were unfortunate not to make even more of their superiority over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Pep Guardiola doesn’t lift his third Champions League title and Manchester City their first crown as kings of European football. In truth, some 15 years into the Abu Dhabi-fuelled success of the club under Sheikh Mansour and City Football Group, it is a surprise that it has taken this long.
