Javier Mascherano's club loyalties trumped those associated with his country after helping Barcelona team-mate Marc-Andre ter Stegen save international compatriot Sergio Aguero's penalty in last night's Champions League last 16 second leg clash at Camp

Mascherano can be clearly seen assisting the Barca goalkeeper in the build-up to Aguero's penalty by advising him to dive to his right hand side, based on his intuition that the Citizens marksman prefers shooting to his left.

With the score tentatively poised at 1-0 on the night - and 3-1 on aggregate in the Catalan club's favour - a Manchester City goal with a little over ten minutes remaining would've set up a grandstand finish in Spain, as the Premier League outfit would've required just one more goal to take the two-legged tie to extra time.



Unfortunately for the visitors Aguero fluffed his lines after Mascherano's prediction was right, and Ter Stegen successfully parried the South American's shot to maintain his clean sheet, and even more crucially keep daylight between City and Barcelona heading into the final period.

Manuel Pellegrini's side continued to press for the remaining minutes, but failed to really test their opponents again. There was a real sense that the penalty miss had knocked the stuffing out of Manchester City, who crashed out at the first knockout stage of Europe's elite club competition for the fourth consecutive campaign.
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is this patriotism or match fixing if I may ask?

seunlayi:
is this patriotism or match fixing if I may ask?

Call am anyone u like. What I love most about this news is that it even has a pix proof so haters go fit cry more.
Mascherano wagbayi!

It's neither match fixing nor patrotisn, it's a kinda normal reaction. If u play football, you must Av done it before or see ppl do it. I was just surprised that I saw it happened at this level... It's using the situation to your advantage. The keeper myt not Av seen the pointer or could Av gambled to the other side. Either ways, I love Barcelona FC

42n8dzydoo:
It's neither match fixing nor patrotisn, it's a kinda normal reaction. If u play football, you must Av done it before or see ppl do it. I was just surprised that I saw it happened at this level... It's using the situation to your advantage. The keeper myt not Av seen the pointer or could Av gambled to the other side. Either ways, I love Barcelona FC

Vargas did the same to Sanchez when Arsenal played QPR this season.

It is allowed,that's why you see Lehmann reading note against Argentina @ the 2006 WC.