Manchester City’s head coach, Pep Guardiola, has expressed his concerns following the team’s recent 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League, emphasizing that the loss stemmed from a lack of sharpness in the final third of the pitch and being vulnerable on counter-attacks.
In a match held on Wednesday night, Juventus showcased their clinical finishing against Manchester City, with Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie each finding the net to secure a significant victory for the Serie A side.
This latest result has cast a shadow over Manchester City, marking a troubling trend where they’ve managed to secure only one win in their last ten encounters across all competitions.
More alarmingly, the reigning Premier League champions currently find themselves in a precarious 22nd position in the group standings, putting them at risk of an early exit from the Champions League group phase—a situation that would be a considerable upset for a club of their stature.
Guardiola, reflecting on the match to reporters, said, “We played well, but we missed key opportunities in the final moments of our offensive plays. Whenever we arrived in dangerous positions, the final pass or action was lacking, and we unfortunately conceded goals during transitions, which has been a problem for us.”
Despite the disappointing outcome, Guardiola expressed his pride in his squad’s efforts, stating, “I am so proud of these players. They gave their all and fought hard. We are currently going through a challenging period, but I remain hopeful that we can turn our fortunes around with some positive results.”
The manager acknowledged the complexities of the Champions League, saying, “I understand that it’s always challenging at this level, yet I believe we played well overall. We have two crucial matches ahead where we need perhaps just one point or, ideally, a win in our final game at home. We faced setbacks against Feyenoord and Inter Milan as well, playing well yet coming away without the results we desired, and that’s what has created some of our current issues.”
Looking ahead, Guardiola’s team will next face Paris Saint-Germain away, and another defeat could push them further down the standings, potentially leaving them among the bottom eight clubs in their group and facing the stark possibility of elimination from the competition.