Manchester City’s problems mounted on Gameweek 6 of the 2024 UEFA Champions League with a saddening 2-0 loss at Turin on Wednesday night. Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and substitute Weston McKennie were enough to edge out the visitors from the top of the UCL table.
The English visitors dominated the game on a large scale in both halves but were neither creative nor lethal in front of goal. Juventus on the other hand, made most of their chances in the second half to earn them a victory that puts them three points clear of City at 14th place.
Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from a series of defeats with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last week raising hopes of a comeback in all competitions. But Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and the loss to Juventus has again highlighted the team’s struggles to find consistency this season. Man City now sits at the 22nd spot in the UCL following the previous 4-1 defeat of Sporting CP and a draw against Feyenoord.
A win from their last two games can still be sufficient to see them through to the playoff rounds. But they face two other teams that are in a similar position and fighting for a breakthrough into the playoffs of the Champions League this season – Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge, adding to the intensity Pep Guardiola’s men would have to evade to save their failing season.
PEP GUARDIOLA DETERMINED TO STAY!
There has been a lot of controversy lately regarding Pep Guardiola’s role as Manchester City’s head coach following the club’s decline in performances for the past two months, even before he signed his most recent two-year contract extension.
The former Barcelona player and coach revealed that Manchester City will be his final managerial role in club football during an interview ahead of the UCL clash against Juventus in Turin. The 53-year-old who has won 18 trophies since joining City in 2016, and most recently extended his contract until 2027 is now contemplating life after his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking on celebrity chef Dani Garcia’s YouTube channel, Guardiola stated he has no plans to manage another club once he leaves Man City. However, he expressed interest in potentially coaching at the international level. He did not specify when he intends to step down but clarified that he won’t continue in club football.
“I’m not going to manage another team. I’m not talking about the long-term future but what I’m not going to do is leave Man City, go to another country, and do the same thing as now.”
I wouldn’t have the energy. The thought of starting somewhere else, all the process of training, and so on. No, no, no! Maybe a national team, but that’s different. I want to leave it and go and play golf but I can’t. I think stopping would do me good.”
This raises speculations about the possibility of the Spanish coach heading to Brazil after his time in England. Several reports highlighted attempts to flip the experienced coach from signing an additional deal in October to transfer or the international scene after his last contract ends. Although the current President of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) – Elnardo Rodriquez denied making contact with the Manchester City boss, aspirant, and candidate for the position in the upcoming election in 2025 – Ronaldo Nazari has identified plans to lure Guardiola to coach the countries emerging talents if he wins the election.
In the meantime, Guardiola’s focus is on addressing Manchester City’s current struggles. Despite winning the Premier League title in each of the past four seasons, City have been in poor form recently, securing just one win in their last ten games across all competitions, with six defeats during this run.
Following a 2-0 loss against Juventus, Guardiola’s side now faces a crucial and decisive derby game against Manchester United at the weekend. They sit eight points behind leaders Liverpool and below Chelsea and Arsenal. While the team keeps pushing to make improvements in their recent form, Guardiola emphasized the need to take things one game at a time:
“Right now we are not in the position when we have had the results of the last seven, eight games, to talk about winning games in the plural. So we have to win the game and not look at what happens in the next one yet.”
City have also been hit hard by the loss of Rodri to a season-ending injury. Guardiola believes the team must focus on simplicity to improve their form:
“It’s not a mental thing. It’s about doing the simple things better. They are professionals and as much as we are all together, we will be a stronger team. The way we want to play is not going to be changed for obvious reasons, because our success was there. I know when we are able to do it, we are able to play well.”
The club’s management will have all hands on deck in the upcoming transfer window to try to return the balance they now lock at midfield following Rodri’s injury. Prospects like Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi have made the shortlist.
MAN CITY AND REAL MADRID PLAYERS DOMINATE FIFPRO MEN’S WORLD XI
Man City and Real Madrid dominated the newly released FIFPRO Men’s World XI for 2024 following their impressive deep runs in their domestic League and the UEFA Champions League last season.
The English side won the Premier League for a fourth consecutive season and six times in the last seven EPL campaigns, and provided the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. They made a deep run in the Champions League but got eliminated by Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Real Madrid, on the other hand, went ahead to claim both the domestic La Liga title and the Champions League.
Four Manchester City players and six Real Madrid players made the cut into the 2024 FIFPRO Men’s World XI. Ederson, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland represent City in a lineup heavily influenced by Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning squad which produced Mbappe, Vinicius Jnr, Toni Kroos, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Antonio Rudiger. Kylian Mbappe was rated for his time at Paris Saint-German in the last season. Although Mbappe has since moved to Real Madrid, his inclusion reflects his form between August 2023 and July 2024 with PSG.
Notably, Lionel Messi missed out on the XI for the first time since 2006. No other player comes close to maintaining this feat. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk was the only other Premier League representative who made the list. The format used for this year’s list includes a formation of 3-4-3, highlighting a goalkeeper, a three-defensive line, four midfielders with adverse roles, and three attackers. Here is a full representation of the 2024 FIFPRO Men’s World XI:
Goalkeeper: Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany), Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid, France), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)
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