\u201cWhen you play as many times against each other, it becomes like the basketball play-offs. You do one thing; they respond with another, you answer in another way,\u201d was how Pep Guardiola described his quadrilogy of matches with Jose Mourinho in the 2010\/11 season run-in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guessing, the changing, the preparing, the switches during games\u2026this is what makes everything enjoyable, which gives meaning to everything. It is the thing that made those encounters fascinating,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Barcelona and Real Madrid met four times across three competitions in the space of six games and 17 days. Guardiola won one decisive European semi-final leg. Mourinho claimed a scalp of his own and, with it, the Copa del Rey. And a pair of draws meant those personal \u201cplay-offs\u201d ended roughly equally, even if there was a Catalonian league and Champions League double by the campaign\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
There has rarely been anything approaching those levels of parity between Guardiola and Eddie Howe. Their five clashes this season have seen Manchester City emerge victorious four times, advancing in both domestic cups but with Newcastle landing a potentially fatal Premier League title blow<\/a> in November.<\/p>\n And their non-Clasico version of \u201cyou do one thing; they respond with another, you answer in another way\u201d essentially amounts to Omar Marmoush and Harvey Barnes sharing the goals between them.<\/p>\n Guardiola called facing Newcastle \u201ca nightmare\u201d on the eve of this tie \u2013 and not as his trademark back-handed compliment or hair-ruffling condescension.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysicality, pace, the way they play is so difficult. An incredible, complete team,\u201d he branded them. And the Magpies often show those flashes against a side whose dominance has become their blueprint.<\/p>\n St James\u2019 Park erupted when Sandro Tonali played Barnes in to finish astutely past James Trafford and inspire hope of Newcastle edging into the quarter finals at the expense of a much-changed side.<\/p>\n Manchester City made more alterations to their starting line-up away at Premier League opposition than Arsenal did for their visit to a League One club<\/a>. And Mansfield Town ultimately made a better fist of things earlier in the day as Manchester City\u2019s reserves soon raised the level.<\/p>\n Nico Gonzalez, in his first appearance since the previous round\u2019s unconvincing stagger past Salford, cleared off the line from Nick Woltemade.<\/p>\n John Stones, in his first 90 minutes since November, impressed and channelled Kevin de Bruyne with one particularly absurd pass.<\/p>\n