Man City stole trademark Atletico Madrid tactic to survive Champions League battle

City play Atletico at their own game

After Manchester City failed to establish a two-goal lead in the tie, Atletico Madrid naturally pushed forwards for an aggregate equaliser as this game wore on, causing some nervy moments in the City defence - not helped by Kyle Walker's injury.

Pep Guardiola knew exactly what to do, though, as he brought on Fernandinho and took off two attacking players. City started to run the clock down, stay down after free kicks and show less attacking intent. Just as Atletico had done for the previous three-quarters of the tie, and much to their ironic annoyance. Raheem Sterling even picked up the ball to award himself a free kick and eat up valuable seconds.

The jeers and whistles from the Atletico crowd showed how effective it was, as the Blues saw the tie out by playing Atletico at their own game. They beat them in the first leg by playing football, and saw out the win in Madrid by playing smart. In the end, it was Atletico who lost their heads as they saw red, and City kept theirs to book a Champions League semi-final place.

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Stones celebration provides match-winning moment

With five minutes left at the Wanda Metropolitano, time froze. Angel Correa chested down a ball forward in the box, and Matheus Cunha looked certain to volley home for Atletico and break Manchester City's resistance. Not if John Stones had anything to say about it.

Stones put himself in the way however he could, and somehow blocked Cunha's goal-bound effort as it deflected over the bar. He reacted by celebrating with Aymeric Laporte as if they'd just scored at the other end. As it happened, it was a match-winning