Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini seemed not to realise his team were one goal away from claiming top spot in Champions League Group D during their 3-2 win over Bayern Munich.
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A 4-2 victory would have ensured City qualified in first place and avoided a top seed in the last-16 draw on Monday.
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But Pellegrini appeared to suggest his team needed a three-goal victory.
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Asked why he did not bring on striker Sergio Aguero, he said: "I was tempted if we scored the fourth goal."
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The Chilean added: "It was important to be first in the group but not the most important - it was difficult to score two goals."
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Both sides finished on 15 points have already qualified for the knockout stages.
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After beating City 3-1 in Manchester in the first group game, holders Bayern went through as group winners ahead of City because of their better head-to-head goals record.
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With the score at 3-2, Pellegrini opted to bring on midfielder Jack Rodwell for striker Edin Dzeko, rather than introduce Argentina international Aguero, the club's Mtop scorer this season with 18 goals.
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"I said it would be very difficult to beat Bayern by three goals," said Pellegrini, who gave the impression he had given up on the 5-2 scoreline he seemed to think they needed.
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The 3-2 win looked unlikely after the hosts struck twice in the first 12 minutes through Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze.