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Lionel Messi was crucial in the build-up for the first goal and scored the second as PSG beat Angers to go six points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

At first, Lionel Messi looked offside. The Paris Saint-Germain No.10 had darted towards goal, met Nordi Mukiele's pass in stride and slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the Angers net.

But the assistant raised his flag before the Argentine could properly celebrate. VAR, though, overturned the ruling, and Messi was awarded a goal on his return to club football after his heroics at Qatar 2022.

His composed finish was PSG's second goal of the night and settled his team-mates during what was, at times at least, an uneasy performance from the Ligue 1 leaders.

In truth, they never found their best against 20th-placed Angers. But an early goal, followed by a moment of magic from their star man sealed an ultimately comfortable 2-0 win.

PSG wasted little time taking the lead, carving through Angers with relative ease just five minutes in. Messi evaded two defenders before feeding Mukiele, who sprinted down the right and sent a teasing ball to the near post, which Hugo Ekitike swept into the far corner.

Messi was a consistent contributor for the remainder of the half, with the Argentine creating a golden chance for Sergio Ramos before seeing a shot of his own tipped around the post.

But it was an otherwise languid first-half showing, with the table-toppers failing to develop an attacking rhythm, and settling for a 1-0 lead at the break.

Angers gave a good account of themselves in the second half, and created a few chances. Abdallah Sima had the best, blasting over from five yards out.

But just as they appeared to be growing into the game, Messi's delicate finish changed things, adding a touch of class to a shoddy but significant win.

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lionel messi's first touch is perfect 🤤 (tw/fs_lm10) #football #lionelmessi #messi #soccer #futbol #fyp

♬ orijinal ses – 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗔¹⁸⁹⁹

GettyThe Winners

Lionel Messi:

There are games where Messi doesn't really have to try. He can stroll, contemplate the texture of the grass, perhaps admire the raucous Parc de Princes atmosphere. And then, something will happen. Sometimes it's a drop of the shoulder, others a no-look pass, an instantaneous reminder of his other-worldly quality. This was one of those games for Messi. He had the third fewest touches of any outfield PSG player in the first half, but created a big chance for Sergio Ramos, and was a vital part of the build up for his team's opener. He was even quieter in the second half, but broke his silence with a wonderfully taken goal. This was a far from perfect appearance from the World Cup winner and yet he was still the game's most decisive player. Remarkable.

Hugo Ekitike:

It's a bit simplistic to say that PSG needed to find goals in Kylian Mbappe's absence. But then, Ekitike isn't really a complex player. His impact on the flow of the game is relatively minimal. He's not the best passer, nor does he take on defenders with much conviction. However, Ekitike, as he has shown in recent weeks, is very good at getting into the right positions and finishing from close range. Here, he opened the scoring for his fourth goal in five games – a handy purple patch in the absence of some of PSG's bigger names.

Nordi Mukiele

The France international has been misused in recent weeks. First, he was told to play a more defensive role at right-back. Then, he played on the left, where he incessantly cut inside onto his stronger right foot. But in this game, he was back in more comfortable territory, marauding up the touchline in the right-wing-back spot. Mukiele is a slightly awkward player to watch, but his understanding with Messi is undeniably impressive. And it showed here, as Mukiele bagged two assists, feeding Ekitike and Messi for PSG's two goals. He will likely be forced to a more central role when Achraf Hakimi returns from injury, but Mukiele is a more than reliable back-up.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Neymar:

While fellow returnee Messi enjoyed an agreeable return, Neymar wasn't quite as steady in his first appearance in two weeks. Indeed, the Brazilian was far short of his brilliant best, loose in possession and lacking in sharpness. He appeared to pick up an injury early on, limping around the pitch after a tackle that appeared to contain little contact. And he never really settled after that, struggling to link up with Juan Bernat and Ekitike out wide. This obviously was not the kind of game in which PSG needed Neymar at his best, and getting an extended run-out is always a good thing for a player working his way back to full fitness, but it was a poor showing from one of the world's best.

RC Lens:

It was always going to be a big ask for Lens to stay in the title race. But after they beat PSG last week, pulling within touching distance of the Ligue 1 summit, there was a brief moment of optimism. On Wednesday, though, they made life difficult for themselves, dropping points to relegation-threatened Strasbourg in a frustrating 2-2 draw. And they didn't get any favours from PSG, either, as the Parisians got the job done against Angers, albeit in an ugly fashion. Lens now trail PSG by six points, and the slimmest of title hopes seem to be fading away.

GettyPSG Ratings: Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Mostly a spectator, aside from one very poor clearance that almost cost his side.

Marquinhos (6/10):

The Brazilian didn't have a very busy night at the back, but kept the ball moving well.

Sergio Ramos (7/10):

Forced a fantastic save off Bernadoni with a driven header, and led PSG with 13 recoveries. A classy performance from the Spaniard.

Danilo Pereira (6/10):

Not the steadiest display on the left side of PSG's back three. He's not a natural centre-back, and can be exposed at times.

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GettyMidfield

Nordi Mukiele (8/10):

Looked far more comfortable at right-wing-back and contributed immediately, assisting Ekitike inside five mins. Added another in the second half to cap off an impressive performance.

Vitinha (7/10):

The only midfield player who seems to truly benefit from Neymar and Messi being in the line-up, Vitinha makes all the little runs and creates space for PSG's dynamic duo. He was as handy as ever, and had some magical runs into the final third.

Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

A puzzling player. Did a lot of pretty things without really accomplishing much.

Juan Bernat (6/10):

Started poorly but improved as things went on. Made one impressive recovery, but was then caught badly out of position as Angers almost scored.

Raheem Sterling reportedly snubbed an approach that would have placed him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League’s top-three earners.

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Moved to Stamford Bridge in 2022Blues have struggled for consistencyOffer from Middle East knocked backWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international received an offer from the Middle East during the summer of 2023, according to . Sterling could have been forgiven for giving serious thought to that proposal as his big-money move to Chelsea has not worked out as planned.

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Sterling, who is said to be earning £300,000 ($378,000)-a-week in west London, has been jeered by his own supporters at times as Chelsea struggle for consistency. The 29-year-old was supposed to help take the Blues to the next level after severing ties with Manchester City as a four-time Premier League title winner.

DID YOU KNOW?

Injuries and a loss of form have held Sterling back, with only 16 goals recorded through 68 appearances in all competitions, but he has no intention of walking away. He is working under a fifth coach in the English capital, with high managerial turnover doing his personal cause few favours.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR STERLING?

Sterling had the opportunity to take on a new challenge, while lining his pockets in the process, but knocked back advances from Saudi Arabia. Those terms would have seen him move into a salary bracket alongside Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo, but he opted against treading a similar career path to former Blues team-mates Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante.

Harry Kane has finally found a permanent house in Germany to live in whilst at Bayern Munich – the former home of PSG defender Lucas Hernandez.

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Kane will move into Lucas Hernandez's old villaKane had been living in a hotelEnglish striker is top scorer in the BundesligaWHAT HAPPENED?

Since his blockbuster summer switch to Bavaria, the English striker has broken records and found himself atop the Bundesliga goalscoring charts. While he had settled into life at Bayern Munich and finding the back of the net freely, the Englishman had been living in a hotel and struggling to find a home to live in. However, as reported in , Kane's hunt for a new abode has finally come to an end and he is set to move into a villa previously occupied by former Bayern defender Hernandez.

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Despite Kane's flying start to his time in Germany, he and Bayern sit second in the Bundesliga – two points off Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen. Despite living in a hotel, Kane has been able to settle into the footballing culture and style at Bayern. The German champions will be hoping a permanent residence for their star striker will only help the player settle further.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kane's 18 goals in the first 12 games of a Bundesliga season broke the record of 17 set by Bayern legend Gerd Muller. The English striker is also chasing down former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski's record of 41 goals in a single Bundesliga season.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KANE AND BAYERN?

Bayern host strugglers Union Berlin on Saturday as they hope to put pressure on league leaders Leverkusen. Kane, now free from house-hunting, will resume his pursuit of more goals and records.

The arrival of five West Indies cricketers to play in South Africa’s domestic T20 competition could provide the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations an opportunity to engage them about the ongoing dispute with their board

Firdose Moonda27-Oct-2014The arrival of five West Indies cricketers to play in South Africa’s domestic T20 competition, which starts on November 2, could provide the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations an opportunity to engage them about the ongoing dispute with their board.Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell will participate in the tournament and FICA’s executive chairman Tony Irish, who is also chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo he will use the next few weeks to try and discuss the fracas with the quintet.”It’s a positive from a FICA point of view that these players will be in South Africa because it will allow us to engage with them and try and resolve the issue,” Irish said. “I’m looking forward to talking to them over the next few weeks.” While Irish said FICA has been “doing what we can at this stage,” he was not in a position to offer any other comment on where the process was at currently.ESPNcricinfo understands that neither the West Indies players nor their board have yet responded to requests for offers of mediation.Earlier this month, West Indies had pulled out of their tour of India after the fourth ODI in Dharamsala following a protracted payment structure dispute between the players, the board and the West Indies Players’ Association.

Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq has questioned the criticism of his side emanating from home, though he did acknowledge his team had been “pretty average” thus far in the World Cup

Daniel Brettig28-Feb-2015Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq has questioned the criticism of his side emanating from home, though he did acknowledge his team had been “pretty average” thus far in the World Cup.Plenty of pundits leapt on Pakistan following defeats by India and West Indies, most notably the former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who described Misbah as “cowardly” and “selfish” on Pakistani television after the defeat to their neighbours and rivals in their opening match at Adelaide Oval.Ahead of their must-win encounter with Zimbabwe in Brisbane, Misbah suggested that while many state that they always support the team, few do so in practice.”We used to say that we are with the team all the time, but we never do it,” he said. “You could say it’s always like that in Pakistan. We are always with the winning team, but when our team is in difficult times, we’re here. But the real supporters, you could say, supporters, they are there. They’ve got belief in the team, still supporting the team, so that’s what we need.”I think as the management, as senior players, as captain, this is our duty here to just really motivate those guys, youngsters to keep doing good things and just be focused. If you’re positive, you are thinking you can do it, you have that belief that is the only way to just come out of these difficult times. That’s what we are trying to do. We’re working hard. We are working on the mental aspects also. So let’s see how it goes.”Looking back, Misbah reckoned his men had found it tough to recover once India and West Indies had got on top. “You can say that the team has been under pressure the last two games, big games,” he said. “Both of the teams really locked us down in the first two games. So we really have to come up good, play some good cricket and try to win this game because I think we were pretty average in the first two games, so we really need to improve our performance in all three areas of the game.”In the first game against India, we just… what happened with us. Even with the West Indian game, we just started well in the bowling, but in the middle overs we couldn’t manage to take wickets. Both of the teams just scored 300 runs, and then it was really difficult throughout the World Cup when some of the teams score 300-plus runs, it’s really difficult to chase it down. So that’s what we need to do.”We just have to press all the time, even in the middle overs, to get batsmen out. So just make sure that the teams don’t reach 300 if we are bowling first, and then batting and the fieldsmen especially [should back it up]. That is the most important thing. We need to take our chances, especially the catches, if we really want to be in the game all the time, and batting needs to be professional. We need to score big runs, and if one of your top four batsmen could just really play 40 overs or go to the end, you have a fair bit of chance to win the game.”

We need to take our chances, especially the catches, if we really want to be in the game all the time, and batting needs to be professionalMisbah-ul-Haq

There has also been scrutiny of Misbah’s batting style, and the number of dot balls he has absorbed at times. A comparison with AB de Villiers’ innings against the West Indies in Sydney on Friday drew the following response: “It’s very easy to say there are a lot of dot balls, but that sometimes happens. When sometimes the team is really bowling well, it could be difficult or tricky for you to rotate the strike.”This is what we are just trying to work out. We are just working on that, trying on that. But this is how Pakistan team is normally. And West Indian and Pakistan teams normally relying on boundaries. This is why we’re trying to rotate the strike a little bit more. That could really ease on the pressure. Then it’s less need to just take risks for the boundaries.”Misbah acknowledged the difficulty of coping with injuries and suspensions that have fundamentally changed his team’s bowling attack before the tournament, but he maintained faith that the team could regather, much as Imran Khan’s men did in 1992.”Sometimes it’s really difficult for you because we were, as a team, playing totally with a different set up. We were relying much on spin and different bowlers, especially Junaid Khan was just playing the last two or three years. He was a main bowler for us,” he said. “But I think at the moment the way these three seamers are bowling, they’re really bowling well. They’ve improved the last three, four games with the way they’re bowling with the new ball, the way they’re bowling in the death overs.”I think you could say one of the best attacks in terms of pace the way they are bowling, and the middle overs we were lacking that. We’re not just getting those sort of wickets due to some poor fielding. You could say missed a couple of bowlers in that. But I think, I still feel that these bowlers are good enough and on a day if luck fills them, they can really go through any batting lineup.”There have been a lot of talks about 1992. The important thing, the important lesson is never give up. That’s what you need to do as a player and as a team. That’s what Imran Khan usually says about 1992. Even when the team was in difficult times, they never gave up. They just kept trying, kept trying, and kept trying. At last they just managed to do what they really wanted to do in that World Cup. So, that’s what we are trying to do.”

The Real Madrid left-back has picked a former QPR goalkeeper in his team, along with the likes of his Brazil team-mate and the French World Cup winner

GettyGK | Julio Cesar | FlamengoA Brazil international since 2004, Cesar has enjoyed a glittering career, even if his legacy is perhaps tarnished in England due to his spell at QPR. The Flamengo keeper has won five Serie A titles in Italy, as well as three league titles in Portugal, while he has also lifted the Copa America once and the Confederations Cup twice with Brazil.AdvertisementRB | Dani Alves | PSGArguably the best right-back in modern football, Dani Alves has won it all, having been part of one of the greatest club sides in modern football at Barcelona. He is on course to win Ligue 1 with PSG, and has also won the Copa America, and the Confederations Cup twice with Brazil.Getty ImagesCB | Thiago Silva | PSGBrazil's national team captain at the 2014 World Cup, Thiago Silva has become one of the best centre-backs in world football, winning trophy after trophy in the French capital. He has twice been a medallist at the Olympic Games, winning bronze and silver.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesCB | Sergio Ramos | Real MadridArguably the best defender playing the game today, Sergio Ramos has made a habit of winning the biggest trophies. He has won four La Liga titles, three Champions League winners' medals, two European Championships and the World Cup, along with a clutch of other honours. Ramos is footballing royalty.

Lionel Messi took to social media to call for an end to the "crazy repression" of Argentina fans in Brazil after violent scenes at the Maracana.

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Brazil-Argentina delayed over fan clashesAlbiceleste ended up winning 1-0But Messi called out repression of supporters@GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup qualifier at Rio de Janeiro's famous stadium was delayed by over 30 minutes on Tuesday night after police intervened to reported booing of the Brazilian national anthem by Albiceleste supporters. This set the tone for a feisty encounter from which Argentina emerged victorious, thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi strike, but Messi was sure to draw attention to fans suffering after the full time whistle.

AdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

The 2023 Ballon d'Or winner wrote on Instagram: "This team continues to make history… Great victory in the Maracana although it will be marked by the repression of the Argentinians once again in Brazil. This can't be tolerated, it's crazy and it needs to end now!!"

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The rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is one of the fiercest in world football. It isn't even the first time this month that opposing fans from the respective countries have come to blows. The Copa Libertadores final between Fluminense and Boca Juniors earlier this month saw crazy scenes of violence on Rio's Copacabana beach, sparking a similarly brutal response from Brazilian authorities.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Uncertainty continues to surround his future at international level. The Inter Miami star will turn 39 at the 2026 World Cup, an appearance which some feel depends on his team's success at the upcoming Copa America. Messi could even find himself without a mentor for both tournaments, after manager Lionel Scaloni's shock resignation hint on Tuesday night.

Jude Bellingham sat out Real Madrid’s Champions League win over Braga, but he is expected to return from injury against Valencia.

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Knock suffered against Rayo VallecanoSat out Champions League dutyExpected to play before joining Three LionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blancos will be back in La Liga action on Saturday when taking in one more outing at Santiago Bernabeu before the next international break is reached. Bellingham is among those due to head out of the Spanish capital after being included in England’s latest squad.

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The 20-year-old midfielder will want to make that trip with more minutes at club level under his belt, with an unfortunate knock picked up last time out against Rayo Vallecano. Madrid have been taking no risks on the youngster’s fitness, but have welcomed him back to full training.

WHAT THEY SAID

Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti told reporters when asked for an update on Bellingham and whether he is likely to feature in a home date with Valencia: “We are focused on what can happen tomorrow. The player says he feels comfortable, today he trained and tomorrow he will be available. If nothing happens in the next few hours, he will play.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Bellingham has made a stunning impact since joining Madrid for €103 million (£90m/$110m) during the summer transfer window, with the newly-crowned Kopa Trophy winner registering 13 goals through 14 appearances in all competitions.

England completed the second-highest successful chase in T20 internationals and the highest in World T20 history to keep their campaign alive

The Report by Firdose Moonda18-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:34

Chappell: Root has a good cricketing brain

England completed the second-highest successful chase in T20 internationals and the highest in World T20 history to keep their campaign alive. They held their nerve chasing 230, thanks to a blistering start from Jason Roy and a clinical innings from Joe Root that ripped South Africa’s attack apart and undid their batsmen’s efforts.Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy all scored half-centuries in a line-up that included AB de Villiers at No. 3 and South Africa would have thought they had enough. Instead, they were left to rue the three overs between 10 and 13, bowled by Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, when South Africa could not find the boundary and scored just 14 runs. Before that, they were 125 for 2; after it, 139 for 3 and it was the difference between a score under 250 and one greater than. In the end, South Africa needed the latter.On a night when no one wanted to be a bowler, the England seamers’ scattergun approach was nullified by South Africa’s overcompensation in bowling too straight, as well as some ill discipline. While England only gave away two wides, South Africa donated 20. An England line-up whose approach is built on aggression punished them for that.Given the magnitude of their task, England showed intent from the first ball. Jason Roy swung hard at Kagiso Rabada and took 21 runs of the opening over – the most Rabada has conceded in an over in this format.Alex Hales treated Dale Steyn with equal disdain. He sent the first three balls for four, all flicks on the leg side, although he should have been dismissed off the first. Kyle Abbott was at short fine leg and could not hold on. Roy had even less respect for Steyn. He finished the over with 10 runs off two balls to take England to 44 after two overs, the most runs off 12 balls in a T20. It was also Steyn’s most expensive T20I overEngland were running away with it but Abbott made up for his earlier blunder when he had Hales rapped on the pads in front of middle and leg to strike the first blow.Ben Stokes was promoted to No. 3, Roy kept going and South Africa had to turn to death bowling strategies in the Powerplay. Abbott searched for the yorker and found it but when he missed Roy ramped him for six over de Kock’s head. Roy tried to do it again but skied it and de Kock took the catch, ending his contribution at 43 from 16 balls.When Stokes hit a Rabada full toss to the deep square leg boundary, it was advantage South Africa. Although England had more runs than South Africa had after six overs – 89 to 83 – they had already lost three wickets.Imran Tahir was introduced in the seventh over and immediately quietened things down. His opening over cost seven runs without a boundary and, having seen England’s spinners have a similar impact, Faf du Plessis gambled with bringing on Duminy. It paid off as Duminy worked in tandem with Tahir and snaffled Eoin Morgan, who chopped on, to keep the advantage with South Africa at the halfway point. After 10 overs South Africa were 125 for 2; England 118 for 4.But the brakes were slammed on South Africa’s innings then when Rashid and Moeen kept du Plessis and Duminy quiet. In the same period, South Africa used Chris Morris, Duminy and Steyn and the effect was entirely the opposite. England scored 42 runs in those three overs, Morris bowled short balls to his detriment, Root and Jos Buttler finally decided to take on Duminy and Steyn could not scare England into a mistake. The advantage swung. After 13 overs, England were 160 for 4 and the required rate had been dragged down from over 11 to 10.South Africa still had Tahir and he went on to become the only bowler not to concede a boundary on the night, and to remove Buttler, but he lacked support. Morris was South Africa’s weak link and gave Root the full toss that saw him bring up fifty off 30 balls. His was the slowest half-century of the night, after de Kock’s came up off 21 balls, Amla’s off 25 and Duminy’s 26, but it was the one that mattered most.Root took England to within 11 runs of victory before he swatted Rabada to deep midwicket and left it for Moeen to finish off. England lost two more wickets before they got there, but they won’t dwell on those late nerves.They will, however, want to address their own bowling lapses and a messy fielding performance that saw them on the received end of a total in excess of 220 for the fourth time. Reece Topley offered too much width even as Morgan refused to put a fielder at point to allow de Kock to hit him through there three times. De Kock was even more severe on Willey and forced Morgan to introduce a spinner in the Powerplay.Amla had only faced three balls by the time Moeen came on but already had his eye in. Amla found two boundaries before he should have been caught at mid-off but Topley, perhaps still recovering from his own mauling, spilled the chance. Jordan and Stokes could not find control and England conceded 81 runs in the five overs after Willey’s first had gone for two.Rashid was introduced as soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted but did not immediately appear a threat. De Kock used his first ball to bisect the men in the deep and bring up his first T20I fifty but did not add many more to his total. He picked out the fielder at deep midwicket to allow South Africa to unleash de Villiers on the perfect platform.The innings seemed to be playing to script when de Villiers smacked successive sixes but his show was short lived. Instead it was Amla and then Duminy who kept South Africa going. They scored 90 runs off the last seven overs but on a small field, a good pitch and against a bloody-minded England, it was not enough.

The Germany international is on his way to Barcelona after establishing himself as a club legend by the end of a seven-year stay at the Etihad

Is it time to get working on another statue outside the Etihad Stadium? Ilkay Gundogan has just brought an end to his Manchester City career and he will be undoubtedly remembered with the same level of fondness among supporters as the likes of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.

The Germany international won 12 major trophies during his seven-year stay and was integral to so many of those triumphs. Indeed, Gundogan so often proved City's man for the big occasion, with Kyle Walker noting that the versatile midfielder appeared to transform into "prime (Zinedine) Zidane for the final months" of nearly every campaign.

So, with the 32-year-old now bound for Barcelona, GOAL looks back at Gundogan's 10 most iconic moments during his glorious spell in Manchester…

GettyGundogan's first goal

Gundogan was the first signing of Pep Guardiola's tenure, but he missed the start of the 2016-17 season through injury. However, when he finally returned to full fitness, he made an instant impact, winning a penalty in his first appearance, in a 4-0 Champions League rout of Borussia Monchengladbach, before opening his City account on his Premier League debut three days later, against Bournemouth.

Gundogan made a perfectly timed run into the area before coolly slotting home, which would eventually become a very familiar sight at the Etihad…

AdvertisementGettyA brace against Barca

City had been humiliated by Lionel Messi in their Champions League group-stage meeting with Barcelona in October 2016, with the Argentine scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Camp Nou.

It initially appeared that the No.10 might run riot again when he opened the scoring in the return clash at the Etihad. However, Gundogan then got to work, turning in a low cross from Raheem Sterling to level the game and then sealing a stunning 3-1 win after pouncing on a loose ball in the area.

GettyThe long road to recovery

Gundogan left the pitch in tears and Guardiola was "so sad" after the German suffered knee ligament damage in a 2-0 win over Watford in December 2016. The manager feared that one of his key men would be out of action for "several months", and so it proved. Gundogan only returned to action in September of the following year, but when he did, as a substitute in a 6-0 demolition of the same side at Vicarage Road, he was given a rapturous reception by the visiting supporters.

"It was very good," Gundogan admitted afterwards, "because it had been a long wait, nine months now. I'm a little proud of myself, because that was not my first long-term injury, so it was a long way that I had to fight back."

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GettyPass master

It quickly became clear that City were one of the finest exponents of possession football the English game had ever seen, and Gundogan was integral to the way in which they hogged the ball. In a historically-dominant 1-0 win over Chelsea in March 2018, he broke the Premier League's individual records for most attempted passes (174) and most successful passes (167) in a single game. The previous record-holder? Naturally, another City legend – Yaya Toure.