In the first half of Saturday night's Champions League final against Inter, Manchester City lost the star Kevin De Bruyne to injury.
Half an hour into the match, De Bruyne sagged to his haunches. The Belgian attempted to continue after receiving brief medical attention, but he was soon gifted with a loose ball, which he shot past an offside Jack Grealish.
With an unmatched 28 assists throughout all competitions, City's top assist producer was on the field when the best opening of a caging tournament was made. Erling Haaland received a pass from De Bruyne, who threaded it for him as Inter's tight rearguard began to fray a little bit. Haaland's powerful low shot was blocked by Andre Onana.
Although Phil Foden had to be brought in to replace his star playmaker in the 36th minute, Pep Guardiola was obviously reluctant to do so.
De Bruyne led City in the Champions League final against Chelsea two years ago, but he was unable to complete the full game. At the Estadio do Dragao, the Belgian player played for an hour in front of a small crowd before colliding with Antonio Rudiger, who broke De Bruyne's nose and fractured his orbital bone.
In Istanbul, the reason for De Bruyne's dismissal was less clear.
The 31-year-old was seen extending out his right leg when he begrudgingly requested help from City's physios. He made an effort to continue, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
De Bruyne received a double high-five from Guardiola after being forced off permanently in Saturday's championship game and joined City's reserves on the bench. De Bruyne hinted at a potential hamstring injury when he returned from the halftime break with ice strapped around his right leg.
De Bruyne was not included in the lineup for City's last match in the top division of the season since the Premier League championship had already been secured. De Bruyne started the FA Cup final against Manchester United last Saturday, setting up both of Ilkay Gundogan's volleys, so it appeared to be a matter of rotation.
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