Manchester City vs Steaua Bucharest match report: Joe Hart says goodbye to City fans in Champions League play-off

Manchester City 1 (6) Steaua Bucharest 0 (0): With Guardiola making it clear that Hart does not fulfil his requirements for a top level goalkeeper, this may well prove to be his final appearance

Joe Hart had an emotional night – which may be his last – in front of the Etihad crowd (Getty)

If Pep Guardiola was hoping that Joe Hart would go quietly from Manchester City, it was a rare misjudgement on the part of the club’s celebrated new manager, with almost everyone else inside the Etihad Stadium calling for the goalkeeper to stay during this routine Champions League victory against Steaua Bucharest.

Hart did his bit, not only keeping a clean sheet against the 1986 European champions but also producing a handful of saves which merely served to turn up the volume on those chants imploring Guardiola to reconsider his opinion of the England goalkeeper.

But with Guardiola making it clear that Hart does not fulfil his requirements for a top level goalkeeper, this may well prove to be his final appearance between the sticks for City. Yet if it is the end, Hart, who applauded all corners of the stadium at the end of the game, can at least walk away knowing that he made a point to the man who is ready to discard him.

It was certainly a strange occasion for Hart. On one hand, he was afforded the honour of captaining the team by Guardiola, but on the other, he was thrust back into the starting XI just as Claudio Bravo was about to finalise his £17m move from Barcelona.

So by the time City face West Ham United at the Etihad on Sunday, the England number one will be his club’s third-choice goalkeeper. Captain one minute, cast into the wilderness the next, but at least Hart will leave City – it is impossible for the 29-year-old to remain at the club as a number three – with the knowledge that his contribution to their success has been acknowledged by the supporters.

Hart’s name was cheered when announced on the big screen prior to kick-off, his every touch – especially those with his feet – was met with applause and he was also the subject of a song – ‘Don’t sell Joe Hart, Please don’t sell Joe Hart, I just don’t think you understand,’ by the Etihad crowd.

Fabian Delph celebrates scoring City's only goal of the night (Getty)

It was not a show of defiance towards Guardiola, whose name was also sung loudly, but the message from the fans was clear – Hart deserves better than to be cast aside so ruthlessly. In return, Hart blew a kiss to the fans behind his goal as he prepared for one of the quieter nights of his City career. With Guardiola’s team leading 5-0 from the first-leg in Romania, City were never going to mess this one up, especially with Steaua playing to contain rather than attempt a suicide mission by pursuing an impossible fightback.

Nonetheless, Guardiola demanded that his players displayed full focus and commitment, with the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich repeatedly coaching the likes of Pablo Maffeo and John Stones on the touchline in an effort to hammer home his message.

But it was an otherwise uneventful first-half, with a Yaya Toure free-kick flashing wide on eleven minutes before Kelechi Iheanacho curled a 20-yard effort into the arms of goalkeeper Valentin Cojocaru.

City’s dominance deserved a goal and the home side upped the tempo in the second-half as they attempted to make an early breakthrough. Stones headed a Fabian Delph cross wide on 49 minutes before the former Aston Villa midfielder saw a shot saved at the near post six minutes later.

Pep Guardiola barks instructions from the side-lines (Getty)

Delpp went one better sixty seconds later, however, when he outjumped his marker to head Jesus Navas’s cross past Cojocaru from six yards. The only downside for City was the loss of Iheanacho to injury on 74 minutes, when the Nigerian forward pulled up sharply in the Steaua penalty area.

If it proves a serious injury, City may be forced to cancel plans to offload Wilfried Bony before next Wednesday’s transfer deadline. As for Hart, it may be too late for him. The writing is already on the wall.