COMMENT: Joe Hart was absolutely magnificent for Manchester City last night.
By his own admission, it was a career best performance, with the goalkeeper being the difference between courageous defeat and utter humiliation at the Nou Camp.
Even before the final whistle, Barcelona players were congratulating the England No1 on his performance, with Luis Suarez giving him a hug after a late save from Lionel Messi. He was inspired and it really was his night...
(It's coming, it's coming)
... BUT what does it say about City and where the club stands today when Hart could be seen lapping it up with Barca's players at fulltime?
As Sergio Aguero trudged off the pitch near tears, metres away Hart was laughing and joking with Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who had denied the Argentine from the penalty spot in the final 15 minutes.
After a rollercoaster 18 months, having been dropped by City manager Manuel Pellegrini, his ability questioned in the media and then his future threatened by the arrival of Willy Caballero, you can't begrudge Hart his moment.
But if Iker Casillas matches his performance at the Nou Camp on Sunday - and Real Madrid lose - there is no way you'll see him laughing and joking with his opponents. Just as it's difficult to imagine Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) or Gigi Buffon (Juventus) all smiles in similar circumstances.
This isn't about Hart, but about City and the expectations inside their locker room. If there was genuine belief that they could win in the Nou Camp - and that belief inspired a performance of real desire and hunger, then it's difficult to see how any City player, having finished a loser, would be happy mixing jokes with their Barca opponents.
Hart's a big personality and no doubt he reveled in the personal challenge of keeping out Barca's attacking stars. It surely wasn't a show of 'I'm all right, Jack' from the goalkeeper.
But after defeat at Burnley on Saturday and now out of Europe - again - this City team is on its knees.
Last night, with Barca fans celebrating, the contrast between a bouncing, jovial Hart and a dejected Aguero could not have been more stark.
Perhaps it was just Hart being caught by the cameras at the 'wrong' time, but it certainly didn't evoke a united front at City.
