Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today.
City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career.
The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent.
Photo: Reuters
A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League defeats to Sporting and Juventus, between October last year and last month was the nadir of City’s fall from grace.
Guardiola’s men have since turned a corner in the Premier League, winning four of their past five games to climb back into the top four, but the deeper problems at the heart of City’s struggles were exposed last week as Paris Saint-Germain roared back from 2-0 down to inflict a damaging 4-2 defeat on the 2022-2023 champions.
The loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury in September last year has been a devastating blow and compounded by a series of fitness issues at centerback, where Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and John Stones have all missed large chunks of the campaign.
Former captain Kyle Walker shocked the club with a request to leave earlier this month before joining AC Milan on loan.
All of which has forced City to rip up their initial plans and spend big in this month’s transfer window.
More than ￡120 million (US$149 million) has already been splashed on Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, and young defenders Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov, but that trio would not be able to help against Belgian champions Brugge, who have not lost in 21 games in all competitions, as they are not eligible for this stage of the Champions League.
“We would not be doing it if our players were fit, but today I think we have two central defenders, no more than that, and with our holding midfielders we are struggling,” Guardiola said of this month’s splurge.
“After eight years together we have so many players who are more than 30 years old and the other reason is the amount of problems we have with players’ availability. It is an absolutely normal process,” he said.
City sit 25th in the 36-team table and must finish in the top 24 to avoid elimination, but victory would guarantee progress as Brugge sit three points above them with an inferior goal-difference.
Despite their issues, some of Europe’s top clubs will be watching events closely at the Etihad Stadium hoping City do not scrape through only to hit their stride in the knockout phase.
Bookmakers still have them as sixth favorites for the competition behind Liverpool, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Ake and Dias could be back for the playoffs next month, while Marmoush, who scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, would be free to play in the next round.
Guardiola is confident his side would eventually rekindle their former glories.
“There are seasons where there are a lot of difficulties. It’s [about] how you stand up to it,” he said.
“When Rodri is here, when the defenders are here, when many players are here, we will not be 25th in the Champions League. Sometimes when you experience these situations and then you achieve it is a bigger success,” he added.
After winning just two of their opening seven Champions League games, City have no margin for error left if they are to avoid an embarrassing early exit.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
FINAL WEEK LOOMS: PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge against 24th-placed Stuttgart, while Man City require victory against Club Brugge Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating UEFA Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Real Madrid is no longer at risk after routing Salzburg. Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris, who could still be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week. Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings are to advance. Man City, the 2023 champions, are in 25th place, but could squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge. “We will
Things are somewhat out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that has only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there were some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-finals on Thursday. It also was the first time since 1990 that three teenagers beat top-10 men’s seeds at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The loser of one of those matches, Daniil Medvedev, got fined US$76,000 for behaving badly. Last year’s women’s singles runner-up exited in the first round. However, the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans, for one
RSS