He didn't always find them. Guardiola kept up a pretty robust and frank discourse with his expensive young defender all evening and let's just say that things didn't appear to be completely clear or successful.
Developing players often hang on to a specific task like it's a lifeline. Given something to do it's like being in blinkers: comforting for a novice.
Leave them unsure of what it is they should be doing and either they'll benefit from the space or, in Stones' case, they'll have to puzzle out what position to take, when to cover, when to play out from the back.
Messi, having spread City's defence wide, was encouraged to make his runs from "outside-to-in" which not only caused more mayhem but brought three goals.
In front of that defensive line, Ilkay Gundogan is a fine organizing midfielder. But he's another newbie, he got dragged into the occasional disorganisation so that Ivan Rakitic and Iniesta could make aggressive forward runs with equanimity.
Eventually the German, hassled wherever he went, gave the third goal away. The uncertainty was contagious.
Luis Enrique's reading of City's strengths, weakness and opportunities was pretty much perfect.
"We have some things to go home and think about," Guardiola said post match.
He's right.
Luis Enrique's Barcelona pressed. Quite well. Better than usual. It worked, too. It was just a very good day at the office for the man behind the plan.
"I'm pretty tired," said Lucho afterwards. "Not just because of the game itself but for the massive preparation a test like this requires.
"Thank goodness there's only one Pep Guardiola for us to face."
His work was worth it. It brought big, big dividends.
Now what's left? Well he could teach Neymar how to take penalties for example. That would be a start.