The rain had stopped. However, the sky still hadn't cleared up. Instead, it was shrouded in a gloom that seemed to have swallowed the light above.
The puddles beneath reflected the gloom above. However, the street around Etihad had come alive with movement as a tide of blue and red and white surged through the street.
The atmosphere in itself was electric, pulsing with excitement and anticipation.
Just outside the Etihad stadium, a flock of supporters had gathered for the match.
They arrived in waves, City supporters in sky blue and Atlético supporters in red and white, and they sang and chanted and waved flags and banners that stretched across the pavement.
The smell of burgers and chips and kebabs drifted through the air, the unmistakable scent of a matchday. Vendors shouted over one another, children clung to their parents' hands, and old men argued loudly about tactics on every corner.
Though rather chaotic, it was still beautiful.
