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Manchester City get the ball rolling. “That City line-up looks suspiciously sensible and balanced,” groans Matt Dony. “What’s Pep playing at? Where’s the unnecessary Big-European-Game insanity going to come from? Can we expect Haaland to slot in at right back? Are Stones and Grealish going to be swapping places every ten minutes? Any chance we’ll see Ederson as a false nine?” Doesn’t look like it. But there’s always next week.
The teams are out! Real Madrid in their meringue whites, Manchester City in their Milan-influenced red and black. The Bernabeu atmosphere blistering hot despite the clouds in the sky. Both teams 180 minutes away from Istanbul! We’ll be off in a couple of minutes, after a quick blast of Zadok the Priest (Version), but in the meantime, here’s Justin Winter with an email that doesn’t end up where it looks to be inexorably heading: “Henry Kissinger said of the Iran-Iraq war ‘It’s a pity they both can’t lose.’ This match is a classic Kissinger derby. One side forever tainted by its association with Franco, the other by its association with the Gallagher brothers.”
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