Luis Enrique's reading of City's strengths, weakness and opportunities was pretty much perfect.
Guardiola, in talking about his quarter-century friendship with Luis "Lucho" Enrique, said that "there were a number of things which Lucho and his team do better than I did during my era at the Camp Nou."
Coming from a revolutionary coach who not only won 14 trophies in four years, but conjured up some of the most aesthetically pleasing football ever played, that was quite a statement.
The Catalan had also recalled that "in our first meeting as rival coaches, Luis gave my team a bit of a beating."
Yet I'd guess that few really expected Barcelona's 4-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday to be a more comprehensive, more embarrassing scoreline -- in fact Guardiola's heaviest away defeat as a coach.
So, what happened? In this match Luis Enrique went right out and gave substance to Guardiola's words. In fact it's been a heck of a week for the Asturian.
Against a context of a limp home defeat to Alaves, and the humiliation of conceding yet another flood of goals to his ex-team Celta Vigo, there had been a certain coolness in some of the Catalan media about the coach.
It was one of those times when Luis Enrique should have bought a lottery ticket because every bet he made came off.
Against Deportivo on the weekend, he played 3-4-3 and the formation produced sweet music. He trusted Rafinha to start ahead of, say, Andres Iniesta or Andre Gomes, and the midfielder duly produced two goals.
He started Luis Suarez, despite the Uruguayan having had several long flights to, from and around South America, and the Uruguayan ripped it up against Deportivo before being given a well-earned rest.
Luis Enrique brought Leo Messi off the bench for him to score within the blink of an eye of joining the fray.
It felt like Barcelona's coach had the game on a personal remote control.
Wednesday's match with City was much more of a test. And more of a test than the scoreline reflects, too.
Barcelona may have been the better team, but Marc Andre ter Stegen made a significant claim to contest Messi's Man of the Match award with two particularly good saves. John Stones also missed a sitter, and it's arguable that City should have had a first half penalty.
What was interesting about Luis Enrique's happy night isn't just the fact that he has welcomed his great pal Pep back to the Camp Nou twice now, and absolutely thumped the living daylights out of his Bayern and Manchester City teams. Seven goals scored, none conceded. They're pretty firm stats.
No, what was interesting was that faced with a problem at right-back, given Sergi Roberto's unavailability, he reinvented Javier Mascherano's position.
Luis Enrique's reading of City's strengths, weakness and opportunities was pretty much perfect.
"We have some things to go home and think about," Guardiola said post match.
He's right.
Luis Enrique's Barcelona pressed. Quite well. Better than usual. It worked, too. It was just a very good day at the office for the man behind the plan.
"I'm pretty tired," said Lucho afterwards. "Not just because of the game itself but for the massive preparation a test like this requires.
"Thank goodness there's only one Pep Guardiola for us to face."
His work was worth it. It brought big, big dividends.
Now what's left? Well he could teach Neymar how to take penalties for example. That would be a start.
Source: ESPN
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