Kathmandu: Manchester City turned the tie in their favour against Atlético Madrid after grinding out a 1-0 win thanks to a super-sub.
It was one-way traffic at the Etihad during the opening 45 minutes with the hosts eager to make their presence known.
It was Pep’s substitution tactics that eventually made the difference when Phil Foden’s first touch of the ball set up De Bruyne for the match-winner after only being on the pitch for 80 seconds.
Atletico failed to register a single attempt against Man City. It was looking likely to be a frustrating night for the home side who, despite dominating possession and rarely being threatened, struggled to find the final pass or shot.
But substitute Phil Foden threaded a pass to Kevin De Bruyne in the Atletico Madrid box, and the Belgian beat Jan Oblak with a low drive to give Manchester City a crucial advantage in the tie.
Pep Guardiola’s side will take the one-nil lead to Spain next Wednesday, knowing that a draw will be enough to book them a place in the Semi-Final, but on tonight’s evidence it won’t be easy to score in Madrid.
