Pep Guardiola had his head in his hands. Not for the first time in the Champions League, admittedly. But at a rather earlier stage than usual. Indeed, it felt like an overreaction, given that Manchester City were 3-1 ahead at the time. His histrionics may been premature but they came to look like a premonition. Josko Gvardiol’s hideous blunder proved the start of a Feyenoord comeback: 3-1 became 3-3. Two weeks ago, City dropped two points.
They now find themselves needing to win in Turin. Almost certainly, only a run of three victories will suffice for City if they are to salvage a top-eight finish in the Champions League group stage. A team who seem fatigued, overworked and plagued by injury could stumble their way into a greater workload, with the prospect of a two-legged play-off in February, the second match a few days before City host Liverpool.
The meltdown against Feyenoord formed part of Guardiola’s worst-ever run. It also changed the context. Beat the Dutch club and they may have only needed to triumph on one of their trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, assuming they defeat Club Brugge at home in January. Now there seems no room for error. “They are able to win three times in a row,” argued Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
However, City now have one win in their last nine matches while Juventus are unbeaten in Serie A and have been defeated only once in all competitions this season. They are draw specialists and, had City seen off Feyenoord, a draw would have been a reasonable result for them in Italy. Not now.
They go to Italy short of players – without Rodri, Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, though at least Mateo Kovacic and Phil Foden have returned to training – and form. They have a solitary major scalp this season: Chelsea, in the opening weekend, before Enzo Maresca’s side had acquired the cohesion and confidence they have now. At a low ebb, they arguably need the best result of their campaign.
If times have changed for Guardiola, his anguish was illustrated after the Feyenoord game by the scratches on his face and the cut on his nose. It was a night of self-inflicted damage for City. And, in a sense, it was a new experience. Guardiola has had his traumas in the Champions League, but usually in the quarter- and semi-finals, amid City’s exits on penalties, away goals and late drama. Not in the group stages, which have tended to offer the smoothest of progress.
In the old format, City won their pool in seven successive seasons. Now they are exhibiting inconsistency in mid-table. By this point, they are usually able to rest and rotate, not having must-win games against one of Europe’s aristocracy.
Viewed one way, City’s only continental wins so far have come against the minnows of Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague. Viewed another, they have only lost one of their last 28 Champions League matches, shootouts aside. And if that was last month’s trip to Sporting CP, City’s record could still have given Guardiola sufficient confidence to feel he could rest players when 3-0 up against Feyenoord. He is aware of the accusation he overthinks things, especially in Champions League setbacks, yet this felt logical.
But a triple substitution backfired. For the 19-year-old defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who came on for Nathan Ake, it gives him the unenviable record of playing 111 minutes in the Champions League, in which time City have conceded seven goals. With three centre-backs injured, the youngster, who is likely to be on the bench again, may be called into action.
In midfield, the prospect of a Kovacic comeback may offer some solace in Rodri’s extended absence. Yet the Croatian is not a defensive midfielder. City could have looked to one, but now – fitness permitting, following a two-month absence – he could appear in the opposition squad.
City marked the 10th anniversary of the official opening of their academy complex at the Etihad Campus; its graduates have made the club some £300m in transfers. But they have also been astute traders, picking other talents up early and selling them on at a profit. One such player went to Juventus.
Short of players now, City have come to look too keen to cash in. Yet if they could have done with Romeo Lavia when Rodri goes missing, it is harder to fault them for selling Douglas Luiz. When a City player, he was not granted a UK work permit to play for them, while instead loaned twice to Girona. The sizeable transfer fee upon joining Aston Villa may have been a factor when the Brazilian was allowed to play in the UK.
There is a case to be made that a £50m player is harming three clubs’ seasons: Villa have lacked the same understanding since his summer sale, City could now, belatedly, have done with him and Douglas Luiz’s Juve career has been ill-fated, notable for conceding penalties. City, meanwhile, could be paying a penalty for the Feyenoord fightback: for the rest of the group, in a play-off and potentially when they are lamenting a premature European exit.
