Manchester City lost once again this season against a formidable opponent. Real Madrid came from behind to beat Manchester City at the Etihad in the UCL round of 32, despite the Citizens leading with just five minutes of normal time left to play.
Former Manchester City player Brahim Díaz equalized for Real Madrid, before Jude Bellingham stole the headlines with a last-minute winner.
This is becoming all too familiar for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season. City are not in the Premier League title race and are almost out of the Champions League, with half of the season left to play.
They have suffered heavy defeats against Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal, Juventus, and Manchester United and have dropped too many points from winning positions far too often this season.
They have struggled to hold onto leads or dig deep to win tough matches against strong opponents, which might be a symptom of “too much success” in recent years for the Mancunians.
Over the last six years, City’s core has consisted of players like Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Rúben Dias, İlkay Gündoğan, Kyle Walker, and Bernardo Silva. However, this season, much of that core has been disrupted by injuries, poor form, and transfers.
Even when playing together, stars like De Bruyne, Silva, and Dias have failed to lift the team in difficult situations—often showing signs of a slightly unmotivated side.
City look like a team that has dominated domestically and internationally for so long that motivation and coordination in big games has declined among their key players.
Solution – New Core For Manchester City
The good news is that Manchester City already recognized the problem and have begun reconstructing a new spine/new team for Pep Guardiola.
The likes of Vítor Reis, Abdulkadir Kushanov, Omar Marmoush, and Nico González—top, fresh, and hungry talents—will form a new core for Manchester City as they aim to bounce back and start properly challenging again in all competitions next season.
