Ilkay Gundogan has praised Bristol City despite losing to Manchester City 2-1 in the first-leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Robins took a surprising lead in the first-half but were eventually overrun by the runaway Premier League leaders.
Lee Johnson's side spirited effort wasn't lost on Gundogan, with the Sky Blues midfielder taking to Twitter to laud the Championship club.
He said: “Don't judge a book by its cover. Bristol City was a tough opponent today, but patience paid off."
Don't judge a book by its cover. @bcfctweets was a tough opponent today, but patience paid off. 2:1 #mancity#cityvbcfc@ManCity
— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) January 9, 2018
