Another way of putting it: Look at us all in a flap about what the game means. Tuchel and his team will be very happy, absolutely. Guardiola’s also in the position he wanted. Not fully, cos he wanted to win yesterday, but he wants his final XI to have clear minds, and they do.

Will that approach work? I guess we’ll see, but it’s like rotating against Leeds. Beating Dortmund didn’t vindicate the Leeds changes, because it just made sense to keep his players fresh, win, lose or draw in Germany. Surely the same for the final. Mentally fresh this time

So maybe City will lose, but it surely makes sense to go into it with the players fully focused on what they have to do, and to be fully fit. Maybe Guardiola was wrong, maybe Chelsea will be flying high, but City’s CL XI will be ready to do their job. They just have to do it!