Manchester City enjoyed near enough the perfect evening on Tuesday, but for Joao Cancelo, it was a night to forget.
City put one foot firmly in the Champions League semi-finals with a superb 3-0 win against Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium.
Goals from Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland put Pep Guardiola’s side in a commanding position ahead of the second leg of the quarterfinal tie in Munich next week.
All three of City’s goalscorers put in excellent performances, but in truth it would be impossible to pick out anyone who didn’t live up to the occasion.
However, one player contracted to City who had a difficult evening was Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese full-back returned to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since joining Bayern Munich on loan at the end of the January transfer window.
UEFA rules permit loanees to face their parent clubs in European competitions, meaning Cancelo had the chance to prove a point to Guardiola and City fans.
The 28-year-old left City under a cloud when disagreements behind the scenes – reportedly about game time – escalated after the 2022 World Cup.
City staff became concerned that Cancelo’s negative attitude was affecting his teammates, so when Bayern showed interest in a loan deal, the club did not stand in his way.
Despite the manner of his (temporary) departure, Cancelo clearly still has a lot of respect for City and the people that work for the club.
As both squads arrived at the stadium on Tuesday evening around 90 minutes before kick-off, UEFA’s social media team caught Cancelo walking towards the dressing rooms.
In a video published on the official Champions League Twitter account, Cancelo avoided standing on a large City club crest on the floor of the tunnel.
It may sound like an insignificant anecdote, but the fact the player went out of his way to swerve the logo shows the respect and affection he still has for City.
Unfortunately for Cancelo, such sentiments weren’t reciprocated when he was introduced as a second-half substitute.
The defender was largely booed by the home crowd as he ran onto the field, reflective of how City fans perceive his exit and attitude issues.
With supporters making it clear what they think of Cancelo, it’s hard to imagine him returning from his loan spell and rejoining Guardiola’s squad for next season.
Cancelo will have a chance to exact revenge when the two sides meet in the quarterfinal second leg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, 19 April.
