Manchester City only added to their recent woes following their 2-0 defeat to Juventus away in Turin in the Champions League.
Man City fans will be well aware that they’ve now only won once in their last 10 games, a record you’d never associate with Pep Guardiola.
City weren’t poor by any means against Juventus, a message pedalled by Guardiola after the game.
However, in a dramatic shift from their previous mantra, City still found a way to lose.
Now, after six games played, Guardiola’s team are looking perilously over their shoulder in the league phase of the Champions League, only one point better off than teams in the elimination zone.
Erling Haaland criticised for ‘unrecognisable’ display against Juventus
That being said, Italian media were obviously in a buoyant mood following Thiago Motta’s best win as Juventus boss, who joined from Bologna in the summer.
And when reviewing individual performances, it was Erling Haaland who was subject to the most severe criticism.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Juventus and Manchester City at ...
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
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The £52m striker’s form has dropped off in tandem with City’s lack of wins, and Haaland wasn’t able to finish his big chance in the first half after a glorious pass by Kevin De Bruyne.
Reviewing Haaland’s performance, Calciomercato gave Haaland a 4/10 and called his performance ‘unrecognisable and dull’.
They continued: “A monumental Gatti and Kalulu [performance] muzzled him. He has the pass to take the lead, but is hypnotised by Di Gregorio.
“He did not arrive at the Allianz Stadium: a night to forget for the Norwegian Viking.”
Goal in Italy gave Haaland a 4.5/10 and declared him as the ‘worst on the pitch’.
They added: “The Norwegian striker disappeared into the black and white shirts, unable to have an impact on the match and wasting his only chance.”
Kevin De Bruyne the only positive for Man City in Champions League defeat
In terms of a positive note for Man City, De Bruyne was still excellent in Turin.
Man City fans hailed De Bruyne’s efforts throughout the match, a player who was trying to carry his team to a much needed win.
Of course, City now face the prospect of a Manchester derby against Ruben Amorim, a manager who has already inspired one win over Guardiola this season.
This United side are still in the very early stages of Amorim’s journey, but a loss for City on Sunday would be extremely damaging.
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