If the test of potential champions is to grind out a game when you are below your best, then it’s a test that Maychester have passed. In an unvarnished, chance-light battle, the hosts took a first-half lead through Ronaldo when Vardy knocked down Pepe in the penalty area, and it held. Neither team looked comfortable or fluent and both racked up plenty of fouls. Billed as a clash between titans in the form of Ronaldo and Messi, it’s questionable whether those who attended it will consider it money well spent.

By Alacrity Jones