Well…no. The absence of the EPL from the last four of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in seven years was certainly unexpected, especially after last year’s EPL v. Barcelona.

But the biggest shock of the week was hearing the words “we were beaten by the better team” from the mouth of Arsenal supremo Arsene Wenger.

Admittedly, Lionel Messi left Wenger with little choice after producing as convincing a case for “best player in the world” status as 90 minutes could offer.

But you don’t doubt that United boss Alex Ferguson would have found something to focus on – like Messi getting Denilson booked when he rolled around in suspiciously temporary agony after the Arsenal midfielder won the ball cleanly.

 

“Typical Spaniards”, Ferguson might have said, enraging Catalonians and Argentines, very much in that order.

After all, his “typical Germans” statement accompanied pictures of protesting Frenchman Franck Ribery and Dutchman Mark Van Bommel, neither of whom would appreciate the label, if European history is a guide.

Still, Ferguson, eh? “Typical Englishman.”

But even though ITV are left to market Bayern v Lyon as a reason for moving Coronation Street, the EPL’s absence from the Champions League suggests little of long-term significance.

The money has subtly shifted from EPL to La Liga – if anything that Cristiano Ronaldo does can be described as “subtle.” Maybe French and German domestic leagues are benefiting from a more sound business model than the EPL’s.

More likely, though, it’s just the luck that Cup football can produce. Just ask Fiorentina, desperately out of the stuff when they fell foul of a late Robben wondergoal in the previous round.

The sort of trick of fate that makes football a wonderful game, and without which all the Champions League would be as boring as the group stages.