The smartest move Manchester City made was to put tickets for this yawn-fest on sale before the first leg against Sporting had been played. That ensured a captive audience for what was a complete non-event - a clash between the Portuguese champions, entirely lacking in hope, and a City team already thinking ahead to next Monday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
The goalless draw ensured City go into the bowls for next week's quarter-final draw when, for them, the competition will begin in earnest. With a 5-0 lead from Portugal, City could barely muster the effort needed to win the game, while Sporting played for pride but were simply not good enough to be a real threat.
Even the appearance of three of City's brightest young academy products in James McAtee, CJ Egan-Riley and Luke Mbete - who all acquitted themselves well - could not lift this game above the humdrum. In the end, it was a game that called for a rule change, preferably something borrowed from cricket, where two teams aimlessly winding towards a pointless conclusion can simply shake hands and call it off, giving everyone an early night.
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The only man who could raise any kind of emotion as the game played itself out to a pointless conclusion was Pep Guardiola, exasperatedly berating the fourth official after Goncalo Inacio had hammered into the back of Gabriel Jesus for what should have been a clear penalty. The fans briefly raised their voices in protest as Guardiola questioned the decision and the lack of VAR action, but it barely mattered.
Even the players failed to shout the odds about the officials’ blind spot, which riled Guardiola again when Jesus, proving hot to handle down the City right, was again bundled to the floor on the edge of the box, with again no action taken. This time Guardiola dug out his players, gesturing that they needed to be more vocal around such matters.
City were neat, methodical and oozed class in midfield, although it was class that had its limitations once it got to the sharp end of the field. Raheem Sterling scorned the best chance of the first half, trying a delicate chip over Antonio Adan, giving the keeper too much of a chance which he gratefully seized, along with the ball.
Guardiola had seen the funny side of his dwindling options in his pre-match press conference, entertaining the notion of 36-year-old Fernandinho taking on one of the most high-energy roles in the team. In the end he went with Manchester lad CJ Egan-Riley, whose only other appearance was in the Carabao Cup win over Wycombe back in September.
The 19-year-old showed all the breeding of being brought up in the City way, comfortable on the ball, unflappable in possession and out of it, and had Sterling been a little bolder in attacking the ball, he might have claimed his first senior assist after curving a tempting cross into the box. The interest levels hit the depths in a first half in which City displayed their clear superiority to the Portuguese champions without driving it home.
But the sight of Riyad Mahrez and, in particular, James McAtee, waiting to come on for the second half maybe emptied the bars a little faster than might have otherwise been the case. Mahrez has been in scorching form, and his two second-half goals in the derby emphasised the extra threat he has added to his game this season.
He almost made the difference within moments of going on at half time, that silken first touch taking him past his marker before he carved back inside. Briefly losing the ball, he snapped it up again and fed Jesus, who swept it home, only for the VAR to rule the Brazil star was offside. McAtee, with everything to play for, also made a difference, his elegant touch and sharp movement adding another dimension to the City attack.
The lad is grandiosely nicknamed the Salford Silva, a burden no one should have to bear, but there are definite comparisons to be made in the way he looks utterly in control in the tightest of spaces. But still the game meandered to its conclusion, and Guardiola gave himself over to some rare sentimental indulgence by sending on Scott Carson for the final 20 minutes.
That livened up a crowd that must have been dozing off, as they declared the veteran was “England’s number one” and came up with the roar of the night when he raced off his line to hurl himself in the way of Paulinho’s shot, taking a nasty bang on the knee for his efforts.
McAtee saved the best moment of the match for the very last action, lifting a gorgeous scooped pass over the defence for Sterling, who slammed it into the side netting.
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