MANCHESTER CITY were plunged further into crisis on Wednesday after falling to a 2-0 defeat at Juventus, which threatens their chances of reaching the last 16.
Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie were enough for Juve to inflict a seventh defeat in 10 matches on Pep Guardiola’s struggling City.
English champions City languish in 22nd place in Europe’s top club competition after having collected just eight points from their six matches in the revamped league phase.
That leaves City just one point above the bottom 12 places and elimination, with matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge remaining, a position that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season.
But City have unravelled in less than six weeks and are way off the pace both in the Premier League and Champions League thanks to just one win, over Nottingham Forest, since the end of October.
City now have the Manchester derby at the weekend, hardly the sort of fixture they need amid this dismal run.
“We have to get points, we’ll go to Paris to try and do that and the same goes for the final match at home,” said Guardiola to Amazon Prime in Italy.
“We can get out of this period by playing like we did today. We lost very few balls and I think we played very well… they deserve more because they give everything.”
Vlahovic’s header, his 10th goal of the season, and substitute McKennie’s fine volley with 15 minutes remaining also snapped a frustrating four-match run of draws for Juventus and brightened the mood among fans who have been disappointed with Thiago Motta’s opening few months as coach.
Juve had drawn 11 of their 20 matches in all competitions coming into Wednesday’s match, but a rugged display moved them up to 11 points and ended with fans roaring with joy and colouring the stands of the Allianz Stadium with flag waving.
- Juve sink City -
“The whole team played well, we did everything that we had to do. It’s a fantastic result and can push us on for the rest of the season,” said Vlahovic.
“We’re lacking a bit of experience because we’re a very young side but here at Juve there isn’t time, you have to get results straight away.”
Motta’s team are level with fellow Serie A outfit Atalanta and two points from the top eight positions which give direct access to the last 16.
There was little suggestion of Juve grabbing such a big result after a very drab opening period in frigid Turin, where two off-form teams ineffectually bumped up against one another.
The best chance of the half came five minutes before the break when Michele Di Gregorio did well to charge down Erling Haaland as the Norway striker tried to flick home Kevin De Bruyne’s neat through ball.
Juve produced even less in front of increasingly frustrated supporters, who only had a Kenan Yildiz potshot to shout about in a largely dismal opening period for the hosts.
However, that all changed in the 53rd minute thanks to Vlahovic just about forcing his close-range header across the line after City goalkeeper Ederson had kept out Federico Gatti’s flying volley.
Stunned into action, City pushed for a leveller as Juve retreated into their box, a move reminiscent of dozens of similarly dogged Italian defensive displays.
Di Gregorio did brilliantly to keep out Ilkay Gundogan’s powerful long-range effort in the 68th minute, seconds before McKennie came on for Khephren Thuram.
The American turned out to be an inspired choice as he was on hand, completely unmarked, to lash in fellow countryman Timothy Weah’s deftly clipped cross and kill off City’s hopes of saving a point.
Things you just love to see
These past few matches have made me wonder just how badly Pep would do with a smaller club. He’s very lucky he inherited the greatest club side of all time in his first job because I don’t think we’d have heard much of him if it was a Mainz like Klopp.
@Daire O’Reilly: Overratted manager won everything because he had the money and best players most managers would do the same
@Daire O’Reilly: Rubbish …. The man’s record is beyond reproach and this is coming from a Utd player. The greatest team you mention were created under his tutelage.
@JJB: supporter even !
@JJB: you played for United? Djemba djemba is that you?
@JJB: wrong, that greatest team was assembled by Frank Rijkaard who was dismissed prematurely by Laporta. The majority of Peps team was already there and just about to come into their prime.
He then went to Bayern who win the league every year anyway, so hardly an achievement. Never won UCL with them. It’s no wonder he said he won’t coach again, because he won’t have the Emirates money anywhere else. Would love to see him coach Stoke on a cold rainy night.
@Kevin Dillon: all subjective arguments. Great managers are based on their trophy collection – few have surpassed Pepe. Now city have a blip and the last 15 years are erased. The thing is records are not erased…. It is there in black & white. Money helped but many mangers get resources but don’t gel the team. I don’t support city but appreciate a quality coach when I see one.
@Shanie: absolutely clueless. A sure sign of someone who hasn’t the first clue about football. Easily the best and most influential manager this generation, and it’s not even close.
@Kevin Dillon: Kevin, this is nonsense lad. It is factually wrong to say Rijkaard was dismissed prematurely. When he hadn’t won a trophy for two seasons at a club like Barcelona. He was beaten 4-1 by real in the clasico in his final game and had a assembled an ageing side and wasn’t getting the best out of the younger players like Messi, xavi , inestia etc….
Pep came in cleared out the big names like Ronaldinho, guily, deco etc….who were threading water, bad eggs or past it. While Eto went later. He bought Pique, Alves, Keita and promoted Busquets and Pedro from the academy. The controlled football played under him was the barca la masia way. He created an all time great team who played magnificent football and won 14 trophies in 4 seasons. It’s a joke to suggest he was handed a team….
@John Clifford: spot on. Anyone who says Pep has been ‘lucky’ to inherit great teams and is overrated etc. is genuinely clueless.
@Cian O: what do you attribute the abject failure with Bayern in Europe to?
Manchester is red
@Joe Beirne: yep, Liverpool Red… :-D
@Joe Beirne: both on top form!
@Joe Beirne: lol. Yer embarrassing yourself. Again! Yer 13th. Stay humble buddy.
@Joe Beirne: with embarrassment. Fact.
@Sean O’Maolain: will never have history of likes utd or lfc they are crumbling and great to see the mighty has falling and its coming…plastic club 115
@Paully kells: this comment smells of “Wer man united, we’re the best team ever” cry cry cry. They are writing the they’re own history. GET OVER IT!
@Joe Beirne: City have stubbed their toe…Utd are on a transplant list
@Aidan Ryan: you think, city are done,
@Sean O’Maolain: never said that..I included lfc there also..”cry cry cry” are u 10?? Ad I said plastic club!
Never taught id see the day man city end of an era will struggle for top 4 and mighten qualify for next round
@Shanie: curse of ray ridge got them!
@Shanie: how much taught went into your post, utter tripe, I’ll have a wager with you they’ll do both of what you said they won’t
@Brian I: No tripe its just true
@Joe Kennedy: He better stay away with predicting liverpool games lol city need some fresh new players walker 34 the midefield as well
Frauds getting found out – financial doping took away any semblance of competition in the premier League – how boring would the league have been without Liverpool – I hope the 130 charges stick, clubs underwritten by states will ultimately ruin our game
We are laughing
That photo of Haalands hanging head on his giraffe neck is lovely to see
@Michael Foley: He’s practicing his “humble” look….