There was no case of over-thinking from Pep Guardiola on this occasion.
At this stage of the Champions League, at least at Manchester City, Guardiola has been guilty of unnecessarily changing his tactics and formation, with dire consequences. Having dispatched Real Madrid at the last 16 stage in 2020, Guardiola inexplicably decided to go with a back-three in the one-off quarter-final tie against Lyon, with City losing 3-1.
And in last year's final against Chelsea, Guardiola was too clever for his own good again, playing without a holding midfielder, a decision that backfired as City were beaten 1-0. There have been other baffling aberrations from a coach with such a formidable tactical nous and intellect, but this time Guardiola kept it simple, with no unnecessary tweaks.
Players in form kept their places, in particular Gabriel Jesus, whose four-goal haul at he weekend and previous impressive performances against Real Madrid merited his place in the starting XI. With Kyle Walker injured and Joao Cancelo suspended, Guardiola could have opted for a back-three, but kept to the back-four his defenders are familiar with, John Stones moving to right-back.
On the eve of the game, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted his only selection dilemma was whether to look to take advantage of City's defensive issues by playing with three strikers. Ancelotti decided to go for it, selecting Rodrygo, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior up front, with the clear aim of exploiting City's perceived weakness in both full-back roles, occupied by Stones and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
But City made an explosive start, with two goals inside the first 11 minutes. There was a sense of menace about City every time they pushed forward and a feeling of brittle vulnerability about Real's ability to repel the attacks.
De Bruyne was the chief architect of City's marauding display, driving his side forward with formidable conviction and revelling in the space he was afforded. Phil Foden was in irresistible form too, producing an outrageous take down early on with Pritt-Stick control, the moment of audacious skill and subsequent cross deserving of a goal.
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After Real pulled a goal back through Karim Benzema, Guardiola was forced to make a change. Stones, who came into the game with a muscle issue, was unable to carry on, with Fernandinho, 37 in a week's time, replacing him at right-back.
Guardiola was rightly furious at his side squandering so many chances, Mahrez in particular, for going for goal himself in the first-half when he should have picked out Foden. And their defensive frailties allowed Real a route back into the tie, when City should have put it to bed before the return at the Bernabeu in a week's time.
Cancelo will be back from suspension and Guardiola must hope Walker is fit to start, for without their first-choice full-backs, City were horribly unbalanced in defence. That aside, this was a night when Guardiola's tactics and selection, often his undoing at this stage in recent seasons, were fully vindicated. Yet the job is only half-done.
