Juventus 2-0 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side are in danger of an early Champions League exit after goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie sunk them in Turin
City’s defeat in Turin was their seventh in 10 games and leaves them one point away from dropping out of the European top-flight
City’s defeat in Turin was their seventh in 10 games and leaves them one point away from dropping out of the European top-flight (REUTERS)
It amounts to miserable seven for Pep Guardiola. The manager who started this season expected to secure his seventh Premier League title has instead now lost seven of his last 10 games. The team who used to top their Champions League group on an annual basis are now 22nd in an expanded pool. There will be no top-eight finish for Manchester City. The worst-case scenario is there will not even be a February play-off. Out of the Premier League title race, they could be out of the Champions League altogether.
A blip is turning into an extended slump. Juventus were the latest to capitalise on City’s weakness and, in the process, to improve their own fortunes. A glamour game was a bottom-half clash, 22nd against 20th. But Dusan Vlahovic’s header and Weston McKennie’s volley elevated Juve to 14th, above City and Real Madrid. There may be life in the Old Lady, if not necessarily in City’s old dogs.
Juventus earned victory, a team with less possession but more ambition taking their chances to secure the biggest scalp of Thiago Motta’s reign. Yet City were again complicit in their own downfall. There were some common denominators with recent defeats. The opener was an awful goal to concede. Ederson and Josko Gvardiol, the culprits in Feyenoord’s three-goal fightback two weeks ago, were involved again. Neither will savour the action replays. The second simply showed that a younger Juventus side were faster and fresher. City could not keep up – or track back – when they surged forward.
Dusan Vlahovic heads Juventus into the lead against Man City
Dusan Vlahovic heads Juventus into the lead against Man City (REUTERS)
A game that began with them seeking to exercise control, dominating the ball in the first half with Jack Grealish the latest to be reinvented as a Rodri replacement of sorts as he started deep in the midfield, ended with a further indication that none of Guardiola’s supposed solutions work right now. City could reflect on one golden chance, Kevin de Bruyne supplying a deft, defence-splitting pass for Erling Haaland, whose attempt to dink his shot over Michele Di Gregorio failed. Yet it is also notable that it came after 39 minutes and was their first attack of note. For too long, they did too little.
And Juventus made them pay. Kenan Yildiz had been the brightest player in the first half, whipping a shot just wide. He played a part in the first goal, too. But in a game waiting for someone to take the initiative, the instigator, the man whose boldness led to a breakthrough, was the centre-back Federico Gatti, who strolled forward, stayed in the City box and produced a spectacular scissor kick that Ederson saved. The ensuing goal would not have happened without him; or without Gvardiol, who failed to clear, allowing Yildiz to cross and Vlahovic to head. The recalled Ederson, picked for the first time since Feyenoord, somewhat strangely tried to chest the ball off the line. He was behind it and the goal stood.
Weston McKennie came off the bench to add Juve’s second
Weston McKennie came off the bench to add Juve’s second (REUTERS)
When Juventus doubled their advantage, it was a reward for decisive substitutions. Motta brought on Timothy Weah and McKennie and the two Americans combined for the goal. As Juventus broke, exposing a hole in City’s midfield, Weah crossed for McKennie to hook in a volley. Weah, the son of the former City striker George, had made a swift impact. It underlined a contrast between the managers: while Motta moved, Guardiola was passive, making no changes while his midfield contained a 33-year-old and a 34-year-old, underlined the contrast.
In their defence, the veterans had come the closest to an equaliser, De Bruyne shooting wide from distance, Gundogan drawing a second fine save from Di Gregorio. In City’s defence, too, they had only lost one of their previous 28 Champions League matches, penalty shootouts aside. But while Guardiola began with seven of the team who started the 2023 final – and an eighth, Kyle Walker, who came off the bench then – the win in Istanbul felt still more distant. Guardiola looked glum on the touchline, a manager who often has too many ideas seeming to run out of them. His team became increasingly fractious, Grealish and Bernardo Silva picking up cautions for displays of frustration.
Pep Guardiola’s team suffer a seventh defeat in 10 games leaving them at risk of an early Champions League exit
Pep Guardiola’s team suffer a seventh defeat in 10 games leaving them at risk of an early Champions League exit (REUTERS)
And in a fixture list that has become an obstacle course, where embarrassment appears an ever-present risk, it is a Manchester derby next. In the Champions League, it is Paris Saint-Germain, the loser perhaps becoming the biggest-name casualty of the group stage. And if City, winners of the tournament 18 months ago, the side who started the season top of the Uefa coefficients, suffer the early exit, it would represent a remarkable fall from grace. And yet, in this form, it feels very possible.