Samir Nasri described it as a "miracle" that with two points from their first four Champions League group games, Manchester City still had a chance to qualify for the last 16 of the competition - and yet they finished with a flourish in Rome on Wednesday night, showing the kind of confidence that can take you far.
As the City players celebrated in front of the narrow segment of away fans in Roma's Stadio Olimpico, the mind went back to Xabi Alonso's misplaced pass to the feet of Stevan Jovetic in the previous game against Bayern Munich on November 25.
Trailing 2-1 to the composed 10 men of Bayern, City were on their way out, but then from Jovetic's pass to Sergio Aguero they scored the first of two late goals to win them the game.
With four minutes left at the Etihad Stadium some City fans had already left and will have heard the roar that greeted the second of Aguero's three goals from outside the stadium.
Victory over Bayern was one of those strange fork-in-the-road moments for City: mistakes by Alonso, a lapse by Jérôme Boateng and the finishing of Aguero.
It laid the foundation for a fine 2-0 win in Roma, one which was a world away from the anxiety of those defeats at home to CSKA Moscow and away to Bayern and which posed the question whether, in midfield at least, manager Manuel Pellegrini had stumbled across a better combination.
In the absence of the suspended Yaya Touré the greater discipline of the Fernandinho-Fernando axis enabled City to withstand the best that Roma had to offer before Nasri and then Pablo Zabaleta scored the goals.
Asked what the potential of City was in Europe, Nasri said much would depend on the draw. "We have one of the best teams in the world. We just have to show it. When you go through, with all the difficulties we had, it's a miracle.
"With two points after four games, and you still have a chance to qualify. . . But we did it and I think we can go as far as possible. But we have to be lucky in the draw.
"I just think you want too much from us," he added. "We have qualified, and we are just three points behind Chelsea. A week ago, everyone was comparing them to the 'Invincibles' from Arsenal, everyone saying they were unbeatable, stuff like that. Then it must mean we are not that bad.
"The thing is, last season we were smashing every team 6-1, 6-0, 5-0, but everyone has studied all the teams, it's not the same any more. And you have a couple of injured players and a couple of key players who are not at their best so, you know, we just show that as a team we can perform."
City have a run of games this month that they will expect to win: Leicester (away), Crystal Palace (home), West Bromwich Albion (away), Burnley (home), Sunderland (away). They face Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea in January - the last of them at Stamford Bridge surely setting up the last four months of the title race.
Yet in the Champions League the draw on Monday will dictate much. It is hard to see City beating Real Madrid or Barcelona over two legs given how far off they looked against the latter at the same stage last season, when they had a man sent off in both legs and seemed incapable of managing the demands of playing against such an experienced side. They will get there one day, it is just how long it takes for lessons to be learned .
David Silva was unequivocal after the win in Rome - his first appearance since the Newcastle game on October 29: City have to avoid the three Spanish teams -including Atletico Madrid - in the next round.
"I prefer anyone else," he said. "I don't want any one of them. The later you play a Spanish team the better, right? They're all that good that one is as difficult as another.
"Every team that gets through now, they're difficult. No matter who we get, we have to be 100pc."
The form of Aguero will be key come the second round in February. Against Barcelona last season, they were schooled in the art of winning tight European ties. Against Bayern last month, they were being passed off the pitch by 10 men.
The questions for City in spring will be how far have they come and how quickly have they learned? (© Independent News Service)
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