Whenever people start down that tired “it’s just 22 men kicking a ball” road, I always pray for footballing nights like the one that unfolded at the City of Manchester stadium on Tuesday 21 of February. It was without a doubt one of the greatest spectacles in the history of the Champions League, a match overflowing with attacking flair, goals, individual brilliance and searing pace.

True, if you’re a football purist that lives on tactics, then the match between Manchester City and Monaco was at times horrifying. With two teams that look to play offensively in order to cover up major defensive frailties, it was never going to be a match in which any defender would come through it without some form of ‘scarring’, but truthfully, if you were to watch a game like that, a 5-3 gun-slinging thriller, an edge-of-your-seat footballing play full of drama and excitement and STILL find some reason to moan, then by golly, go outside, take in some sun, meet up with friends, try your hand at a little romance or something and just find a reason to be jolly already.

For the rest of us, all of us who devoured the Manchester City-Monaco clash like the prime-cut steak that it was, here are some of the treasures that made our eyes sparkle.

Kylian Mbappe looks like the real deal: A lot of words have been written about Monaco’s ‘teenage sensation’ and there was little here to suggest that the youngster doesn’t deserve the praise that’s rightfully coming his way. Another product of Monaco’s youth system, Mbappe has been given the “new Thierry Henry” tag, and while other players have found the comparison crippling, the 18-year-old is reveling in the spotlight. Arguably a better, more complete player than Henry was at his age, Mbappe is unbelievably self-assured on the pitch and possesses more than a little of that Thierry-swagger. Fast as lightning and with an eye for a decisive finish, he is without a doubt the jewel in Monaco’s crown. A fascinating prospect.

Falcao re-discovers killer instinct: Seemingly a spent force when he returned to Monaco, after two nightmarish seasons in the Premier League with Manchester United and Chelsea, Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has re-ignited the fire in El Tigre and in return, the Colombian has fired Monaco to the top of the French league with 24 goals in all competitions this season. At the City of Manchester, Falcao may have missed a penalty, but beyond that he was absolutely terrifying, leveling the score after Raheem Sterling’s opener, before lobbing home the goal of the night in the 61st minute, with an effort that was nothing short of world class. El Tigre is back. Pity the defenders that stand in his way.

Guardiola will be shopping for defensive recruits in the summer: They say money doesn’t buy you happiness and my word, was that evident on Tuesday night. England international John Stones and Argentine bruiser Nicolas Otamendi have cost City close to 80 million pounds in transfer fees, but look far from being the defensive pairing Guardiola needs to build a championship winning team on. While a case can be made about their job being all the more difficult when paired with a selection of mediocre full-backs (at best) and a second-rate goalkeeper, Otamendi and Stones were exposed time and again by a rampant Monaco side, despite City’s blistering offense eventually coming to the rescue and Stones grabbing a goal himself. Stones may still be viewed as a work in progress by Guardiola, but any offer for Otamendi in the summer, will surely be seriously considered.

City’s attacking trio provide a mouth-watering view into club’s future: While Sergio Aguero’s contribution cannot be underestimated on the night, the truth of the matter is that it looks like the Argentine may be sold in the summer. With Guardiola favouring hot-shot Gabriel Jesus (who would have most probably have led the line, if he hadn’t been ruled out for the remainder of the season) as his spearhead for next season, it was the trio of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne that truly mesmerised City fans on Tuesday night. With Sterling and Sane offering face-numbing speed on the attacking flanks, De Bruyne was able to recover from his slow start to the game and gradually impose his presence on the field. Enjoying his role as the maestro (with the precious help of David Silva of course) in a feverishly attacking side, De Bruyne looks to be finding a fantastic code of communication with his two winger-attackers and their ability to constantly play off each other bodes well for City’s offensive future.

Enjoy this Monaco side while you still can. They won’t be together for long: A 5-3 scoreline is hardly an easy one to overturn, even for a side as offensively able as Monaco, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Leonardo Jardim’s side is currently one of the most exciting teams in world football. It’s too bad that this current lineup will not be together beyond this summer.

Brimming with home-grown talent, Monaco can expect a barrage of offers, once the transfer window opens again, for nearly every one of their players that appeared at the City of Manchester stadium on Tuesday night. Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Djibril Sidibe, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko are all being closely monitored by Europe’s top clubs and for anyone that has watched even a handful of Monaco games this season, it’s hardly surprising. No other club in the world currently has a better selection of young, top-price talent.

It’s going to be a busy summer in Monaco.

It all leaves us waiting for the rematch in Monaco, a game in which City need to score to go through, if we are to believe the words of Pep Guardiola and a game in which Jardim’s side needs to score quickly in order to blow everything wide open once more. Frankly, we can’t wait.