Another cautious Champions League team sheet in another game. Four centre-backs in a makeshift back four, four central midfielders and only one winger.
Pep Guardiola had overthought another Manchester City starting XI, and the natives were restless before a ball had even been kicked.
The footage of City's agonising European exits to Tottenham, Lyon and Chelsea playing on the big screen at 7:55pm won't have helped those nerves and was an interesting choice to whip up the crowd. But by 8:24pm those nervous fans had nothing to worry about: Guardiola's plan had worked even better than he could have imagined.
ALSO READ: City player ratings vs RB Leipzig as Haaland ridiculous
City fans should know to trust Guardiola by now, but memories of those painful Champions League nights will always linger. With every year City don't win the European Cup, more questions will be asked of how a team of this quality and with this manager haven't lifted it. Guardiola accepted he would be judged on his European success at City on Monday, even if he didn't agree with the idea.
Some sections of the City support will argue Guardiola should shoulder some responsibility for that Champions League hoodoo, given his over-cautious selections in some of those games. It's a stance more borne of frustration and inbuilt pessimism, but maybe now the days of Guardiola truly overthinking his big-game line-ups are gone.
Yes, he started a more defensive starting XI against Leipzig, and sacrificed a winger for another midfielder. City needed goals after a 1-1 draw in the first leg and only had one regular goalscorer in the side. However, having all of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in the same midfield is anything but a risk.
Guardiola preached control in the first leg, and it looked like control would be the message for the second leg. With De Bruyne proving a point, Bernardo brilliant wherever he plays, and Gundogan quietly being one of City's most consistent players all season, the trio ran Leipzig ragged from the first attack.
De Bruyne found Bernardo on the wing, continued his run to the byline, and crossed for Gundogan to fire over in the box. The trio would combine time and again as Erling Haaland racked up a first half hat-trick and added two more after the break. Gundogan's well-timed fourth goal killed any hope of a Leipzig comeback just after half-time.
Maybe Guardiola didn't 'overthink' his line-up. Maybe he trusted his most experienced players to perform under pressure on the big stage - players who have learned from those previous European nights and know where they went wrong. It looks like Guardiola might have done too.
After the second goal, City fans sung Guardiola's name after serenading Kevin De Bruyne. After the three second-half goals confirmed their quarter-final spot, fans were confident enough to bring out the Poznan around the Etihad. When they stopped, it was Guardiola's name they sung again.
Don't bet against that midfield four starting again in the quarter-finals, as Guardiola finally has a core he can truly count on when he needs a win.
Read more:
