Barcelona's Javier Mascherano has admitted to tipping off his goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen which way Manchester City's Sergio Aguero was going to take his penalty in Wednesday's Champions League round-of-16 victory.
City crashed out of the competition losing 1-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate, and were outclassed for much of the 180 minutes during both legs.
Aguero had a chance to equalise late on at the Camp Nou when Gerard Pique was adjudged to have bundled over City substitute Jesus Navas.
German keeper ter Stegen made an excellent flying save from the Argentine's spot-kick, and replays showed that his international colleague Mascherano had pointed correctly to the corner where the ball was to go.
The former Liverpool player told Onda Cero after the game that he had been able to predict which way Aguero was going to go as he ran up.
"I thought he would go that side," Mascherano said. "What I did was confirm something which I imagined."
Barca's winning margin was narrow on the night but they always seemed in control of the game, with Lionel Messi giving a magisterial performance in the first half -- a display which Mascherano was privileged to have witnessed.
"To play with Messi is to play with something never seen before, a legend," Mascherano said. "A total player. Everyone else, football controls us, he controls the game, decides what to do. He does it with a leadership not seen in the 30 years I'm alive."
The Blaugrana No. 10 laid on the night's only goal for Ivan Rakitic with a driving run down the right wing which drew the entire City defence out of position, and then played a perfectly timed and weighted pass to send the Croatian midfielder through on goal.
Rakitic told Canal Plus after the game that it was hard to believe how well Messi was playing at the moment, while claiming perhaps dubiously that even the opposition players had enjoyed playing their part in the entertainment.
"It is incredible what Messi is doing," Rakitic said. "I think even City's players were enjoying his play."