When De Bruyne and Rodrigues cross paths during City-Bournemouth

One might have imagined, Tuesday night between Manchester City and Bournemouth (3-1), that Rodri would replace Kevin De Bruyne in a sublime symbolic gesture, a returnee and a starter against the backdrop of a key victory in the race for the Champions League. But Pep Guardiola chose to offer two standing ovations instead of one to his two stars.

The Belgian, who has provided immense service for ten years, had already received a hero's welcome for his final appearance in a City shirt at the Etihad Stadium: some fans didn't hesitate to wear masks with his image as a token of thanks. There was palpable emotion in the stadium, perhaps to the point of making him lose his composure a little. His shot hit the crossbar (25th) while he was alone in front of the empty goal a few meters from the line. Pep Guardiola's embrace, when he came off (69th), spoke volumes about the weight of this brilliant passer with a milky complexion.

A few minutes later (82nd minute), in a stadium on fire, Rodri finally returned to his team, after an eight-month absence and a torn cruciate ligament. They really missed the France Football Ballon d'Or winner, just as they will certainly miss De Bruyne enormously in the months to come...