Manchester City were waiting for a final flourish that never came… Guardiola won't let that happen

The trouble with saving yourself for when it really matters is that before you know it everything that matters has gone and you never did get around to giving your best.

Manchester City surrendered the Premier League this season in pursuit of the Champions League. Then they played it safe in the first leg of the semi-final to go all out in the second leg. Then they were conservative during the first hour of the second leg to throw everything at Real Madrid in the last half an hour. The final flourish just never came.

Their victors had the celebratory t-shirts printed and were jigging in front of jubilant supporters after the final whistle as Manuel Pellegrini drew on the injuries to David Silva in the first leg, to Vicent Kompany in the first half last night, and to Yaya Toure throughout the entire season as the reasons for his side’s failure to progress.

City may fail again next season – Pep Guardiola brings no guarantees. Apart from the guarantee that they will not fail in this manner.

Asked how many players he thought City needed to take the next step and compete with the likes of Real Madrid Pellegrini said: "Now is not the time for that question." Guardiola probably disagrees. City need to get their business done early this summer so that the new coach can instil his way of doing things into all of his players. "I don’t think they are any better than we are," added Pellegrini. Again Guardiola would probably differ in his opinion.

Is there a single City player who would get into the Real Madrid team? Even Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne would fall short on this showing. When Pellegrini lamented Toure’s fitness two questions came to mind: Why was he playing if he wasn’t fit? And why is he still City’s talisman? This is a player Guardiola decided was surplus to his requirements seven years ago. He remains one of City’s best signings but the warning signs were there last season that a player in-coming Guardiola always described as a "diesel" was slowing down faster than a diesel with a tank full of unleaded.

"They made it difficult for us," said Real Madrid coach, Zinedine Zidane generously at the end. "I don’t agree they were weak. People can say what they like about City not having done anything in the game but I disagree." It was dignified and Pellegrini deserves to be treated that way as a visiting coach; he never was when he was here as the home manager. But the kindness camouflaged the awkward truth.

Real won their place in the Milan final with a goal from Gareth Bale on 20 minutes. Let UEFA give it to Fernando if they want to. From the main stand of the Bernabeu behind the directors’ box it looked for all the world like a shot from Bale from Dani Carvajal’s pass that took the slightest of deflections past Hart.

He has come alive in the run-in scoring decisive goals in three of Real Madrid’s last four games. Decisive strikes when his team needed him most. Their end of season would look very different without him. It’s difficult to argue with his price tag in light of two Champions League finals in three years. With Cristiano Ronaldo injured he has stepped up and when he meets Antoine Griezmann in the Champions League final it will be a battle between two players who are just one big Milan performance and a fine showing at Euro 2016 from gatecrashing Leo Messi and Ronaldo’s private Ballon d’Or party next January.

City don’t have a Bale. Before the last-16 exit last season to Barcelona, Pellegrini lamented the lack of a truly world-class player and from this showing it looked as if nothing has changed in the last 12 months.

"Boom! Get in there" tweeted Bale. Madrid had fired themselves in the final. City’s bullet is still in the chamber. They were saving it for something. Filing, forlorn away from the Bernabeu in the early hours of Thursday morning their players and supporters were wondering what exactly it was they were waiting for.