Manchester City’s team selection this season has essentially become a game of ‘What will Pep Guardiola think of next?’ and few could have predicted his major decision here – leaving out Sergio Agüero, with Kevin De Bruyne fielded in a centre‑forward role.

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The real tactical interest, however, was what Guardiola did at the opposite end. He had fielded a three-man defence for the first time in the 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday and deployed that system the last time he visited the Camp Nou as an opposition manager, with Bayern Munich two seasons ago. There was a strong possibility he would use a back three here but on paper the teamsheet suggested a back four.

Guardiola always had a trick up his sleeve, though, and here City managed to transform into a three‑man defence with and without the ball, in two ways. In possession Pablo Zabaleta would drift inside to become an extra central midfielder, turning City from a 4-1-4-1 to a 3-2-4-1. It was a tactic witnessed earlier in the season but appeared to have been ditched – trust Guardiola to revive the system away at this season’s Champions League favourites.

That approach did not affect the game significantly but City’s pressing was extremely impressive – and again that resulted in them shifting temporarily to a three‑man defence. Ilkay Gündogan moved forward to join De Bruyne pressing the opposition centre‑backs, Nolito and Raheem Sterling shut down Barça’s full-backs while David Silva and Fernandinho marked Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta respectively. This left the third central midfielder, Ivan Rakitic unmarked so, when the ball was in Barça’s left-back zone, Nolito moved inside to shut him down.

However, when Nolito needed to press the makeshift right-back Javier Mascherano, John Stones would step forward, becoming an additional midfielder, to shut down Rakitic. This left three City defenders to cope with the fabled front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. Nevertheless the pressing was effective at stopping the service into them – at half-time Barça’s three forwards had completed only 20 passes between them. Guardiola had succeeded in starving Barcelona’s best players of the ball.

Amid this tactical fascination it was a game peculiarly lacking in technical quality. The major incidents originated from individual errors rather than individual brilliance, while three players departing through injury created a stop-start feel to the contest.

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While there were still 22 players on the pitch, Guardiola will be frustrated his players were not more clinical: Gündogan and Nolito had good chances and early in the second half De Bruyne played a great cut-back along the six-yard box to find no one waiting. Perhaps Agüero’s absence was, after all, the decisive factor.

Of course, City’s gameplan unravelled dramatically after Claudio Bravo’s dismissal early in the second half, when intense pressing in advanced positions became impossible. The injuries and a red card for either side meant the managers were forced to reshape regularly: this was far from the footballing exhibition we had been promised. But Manchester City should have scored here, and they’ll rarely face a top-level European side with so many glaring weaknesses at the back. Barcelona started with Mascherano out of position at right-back, lost both Jordi Alba and Gerard Piqué to injury inside the opening 45 minutes, and the latter’s replacement, Jérémy Mathieu, collected two yellow cards – the second an incredibly unnecessary lunge on the galloping Sterling.

Looking for positives from a 4-0 thrashing is a tough task, and Guardiola must ponder why so many players were guilty of such unnecessary mistakes. But he can console himself with the idea those errors probably will not be repeated in two weeks’ time, and his overall game plan – the heavy pressing, the transient defensive shape and the attempt to shut off the supply line into Barcelona’s forwards – will probably be the order of the day at the Etihad Stadium.