Manchester City’s latest defeat at the hands of Juventus has raised concerns about the team’s lack of pizzazz and confidence. The 1-0 win for Juve, courtesy of Dusan Vlahovic’s header, leaves City in a precarious position, having lost for a seventh time in 10 games.
Manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his side should have won more times than they have since their first defeat at Tottenham on October 30th. Despite deploying a strong team, with Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne starting, City’s defensive fragility was exposed multiple times.
Guardiola attributed the team’s problems to “too many mistakes” and demanded that his players play simple football. However, even when they did create scoring opportunities, they failed to capitalize, such as when Erling Haaland missed a chance from close range.
City’s inability to recover quickly from setbacks has become a recurring issue, with the team struggling to regain their swagger and confidence in front of goal. As Guardiola himself admitted, his team needs to find a way to overcome their current torpor if they want to salvage what remains of their season.
Next week, City will face Paris Saint-Germain, and with their European ambitions hanging in the balance, they can ill afford another slip-up. Can they rediscover their form and confidence before it’s too late?
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/11/juventus-manchester-city-champions-league-match-report