After a closely fought 180 minutes of football across two matches, it was Kevin De Bruyne's cool finish in the first leg that proved the difference between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

The Belgian playmaker is pivotal to how Pep Guardiola's side operates - and not just when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.

De Bruyne's ability to pick a pinpoint pass to his teammates with either foot makes him a unique threat. His vision when playing those balls across varying distances is also sublime.

Often, it appears that De Bruyne can see angles and gaps that others don't.

Football psychologist Geir Jordet has offered an explanation behind De Bruyne's phenomenal capabilities, having tracked the midfielder's every movement and reaction during the first leg of City's tie with Atletico Madrid last week.

Jordet released his findings via a Twitter thread on Thursday, which has since gone viral.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City scores their side's third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leeds United at Etihad Stadium on December 14, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

"De Bruyne has an extraordinary awareness and ability to deliver decisive goals & assists," the noted researcher begins.

According to Jordet's study, one of the key behaviours employed by De Bruyne to obtain an edge over his opposition is that he is continually scanning his surroundings for relevant information.

"De Bruyne scans the pitch prior to receiving the ball with a rate of 0.45 scans/second, thus 4-5 scans every 10 seconds. This is high for a player in his role. He constantly exposes his eyes to surrounding information and becomes aware of opportunities & threats early."

This ritual seemingly continues even when De Bruyne is under pressure from defenders.

"Players usually scan when there’s lots of space around them, and less when they’re in tight spaces. This is not the case with De Bruyne who maintains his scan rate even when opponents are close. Makes him effective in those crowded areas where assists & goals are created."

De Bruyne doesn't follow the ball's every move

"De Bruyne's scan timing is flawless. He takes his eyes off the ball when nothing new happens with it. Every time someone touches the ball, and it is important to quickly spot new ball direction or pace, he looks at the ball."

This City dynamo, though, will allow himself the luxury of time to survey the action if he feels it will benefit his team.

"When De Bruyne is lower in the pitch, he uses LONG scans by looking away from the ball for 1 second or more before directing his eyes back to the ball. This enables him to pick up more detailed and complex information located further away."

"Under low-pressure conditions, De Bruyne employs SEQUENTIAL scans to literally pan his eyes across the entire pitch. This gives him a more panoramic view of the attacking half and helps setting him up for those creative and lethal mid-range passes he is known for."

"When a situation calls for precise and disguised perception, De Bruyne engages in subtle but high-frequent MICRO scans. Here he only moves his eyes back and forth, to effectively analyze a selected area, while not giving away his intentions to the opponents."

De Bruyne often looks away as he is receiving the ball

"CRITICAL scans are conducted while the ball is on its way to you. De Bruyne does these scans extremely late, often looking away from the ball while in the act of receiving it. This enables him to execute passes with fully updated information about teammates & opponents."

You could be forgiven for thinking that a player as accomplished as De Bruyne would want the ball as often as possible. However, the analysis suggests that he's not keen on having possession in situations where he is not totally comfortable with his surroundings.

"De Bruyne knows when he doesn’t know what's around him, and he acts accordingly. When he receives the ball without having scanned, this might mean that opponents are near, so he instantly plays the ball back to where it came from, using his first touch."

Each of these characteristics combine to make De Bruyne's game very much distinct from that of his peers. When you see the City star execute a pass or skill that few others would even attempt, there's likely a good reason for that - not many can see what De Bruyne does.

In summing up his deep dive into the way that De Bruyne goes about his work, Jordet hailed the player's "flexibility, timing and intelligent adaptability."

De Bruyne's brilliance may never be replicated.

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Tunnel fight chaos - Atletico v Man City (Reaction via The Football Terrace)