Pep Guardiola widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time, a real football revolutionary and mastermind – but even him fit still get tactics wrong when the biggest stage show.
Na tough night for his Manchester City side on Wednesday as Real Madrid shock them well well with ruthless performance, winning 3-0 for the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie for Santiago Bernabeu.
Just three months after City celebrate 2-1 League Phase win for Madrid, their defensive weaknesses show clearly as Los Blancos captain Federico Valverde destroy the Citizens with exceptional first-half hat-trick.
Alvaro Arbeloa Real Madrid side move ball around the Bernabeu pitch with ease and sharp precision, controlling possession well and stopping Manchester City from playing their own football.
Guardiola players simply no fit touch Los Blancos, as Madrid produce serious statement performance on big European night even without injured stars like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo.
After the match, Guardiola defend his team selection and talk say his players perform better than the result show, but plenty people still dey question some of the surprise decisions wey the Catalan manager make that later backfire badly in Madrid.
Questions raised over Guardiola surprise Man City lineup
Manchester City enter the first leg with 11 matches unbeaten across all competitions, and after their 3-1 win against Newcastle United for the FA Cup fifth round last weekend, Guardiola make seven changes to his starting lineup.
Senior players like Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Gianluigi Donnarumma rest for the Newcastle game and, as expected, dem return to start against Real Madrid.
But the final lineup still confuse plenty supporters.
Guardiola – who talk before kickoff say there go be “no surprises” – start the match with three wingers: Antoine Semenyo (wey make his Champions League debut), Jeremy Doku and Savinho.
Savinho impress and score against Newcastle during his first start in more than two months after injury, but that single performance no really justify why he start ahead of players like Rayan Cherki or even Phil Foden for match of this level.
The Brazilian winger don frustrate many City fans with lack of end product, and again he fail to deliver from the right wing before Guardiola remove him at half-time.
Rodri and Bernardo Silva start for central midfield, but the combination no get the energy and legs to match the intensity of Madrid midfield trio – Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and 18-year-old Thiago Pitarch Pinar, who dominate the midfield for most of the game.
Nico O’Reilly don perform well as midfielder in recent months, yet Guardiola decide to play him as left-back instead and drop Rayan Ait-Nouri, wey hardly make mistake since he return to the City team after his AFCON duties.
O’Reilly misjudge brilliant long-range pass from Thibaut Courtois wey lead to Valverde opening goal, and he also part of the back four wey look vulnerable all night as City again play high defensive line wey Real Madrid attack punish.
Another surprise decision from Guardiola – even though it no affect the result much – be to bench Matheus Nunes and start Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back.
Guardiola likely choose Khusanov because of his pace and strength to handle the threat of Vinicius Junior.
However, Nunes don improve well well as right-back this season and many people believe say he deserve start for big match like this. He for also give City more attacking threat than Khusanov.
Guardiola later bring Rayan Cherki with 20 minutes left and then introduce Omar Marmoush for ineffective Haaland in the 83rd minute.
But both players enter too late to really influence the game, which Real Madrid win comfortably.
Man City get mountain to climb to join rare Champions League comeback list
After what he call “really dark” night in Madrid, Bernardo Silva still talk say he hopeful Manchester City fit produce memorable comeback in the second leg next Tuesday for Etihad Stadium.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, who save second-half penalty from Vinicius Junior, also tell TNT Sports pundit and former City goalkeeper Joe Hart say the tie “never finish”.
However, Guardiola himself admit say his team get “not much” chance to eliminate Real Madrid.
To overturn three-goal deficit go require miracle, something wey only happen four times before in Champions League knockout history.
Guardiola former club Barcelona remain the only team wey overturn four-goal deficit in Champions League knockout tie. Dem beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-5 on aggregate after losing 4-0 first leg in France before winning second leg 6-1 for Camp Nou during the 2016-17 season.
Barcelona themselves don also suffer painful comebacks. Liverpool beat them 4-0 at Anfield (4-3 aggregate) to knock them out of the 2018-19 semi-final, one year after Roma win 3-0 in Italy (4-4 aggregate) and qualify through the away goals rule.
The first team to overturn three-goal deficit in Champions League history be Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna, who lose 4-1 to AC Milan before winning the second leg 4-0 at home to qualify for the 2003-04 semi-finals with 5-4 aggregate score.
Something similar go now be needed from Manchester City if dem want produce one of the greatest comebacks ever against the real “kings” of the Champions League next week.
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