Manchester City's Champions League campaign could have been so much different had they been able to hold on to a lead in the opening matchday against Real Madrid.
Leading 2-1 in the Bernabeu with less than five minutes remaining, Roberto Mancini's men somehow managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. First they allowed Karim Benzema too much time to turn and strike an equaliser, before Cristiano Ronaldo beat two men before cutting inside and driving a shot past Joe Hart.
What would have been a morale-boosting victory was all of a sudden a dramatic last-gasp defeat and City's confidence looked dented in their remaining Group D games.
The first signs of both mental weakness and defensive frailty had been shown and, after a pointless first game, the pressure was on for their remaining fixtures in the competition, with ground to make up.
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