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The worry continues for English champions Manchester City. They have been struggling both in the English Premier League and Champions League. Last night, they suffered another defeat as Juventus secured a dominating 2-0 win over the Citizens at Allianz Stadium.
It is Man City’s 2nd defeat in their six games in the Champions League, leaving them in 22nd with only 8 points. With only two games left in the League Phase, Man City must win those two to secure their place in the next round. Juventus, on the other hand, jumped into 14th after the win against Man City.
Match Report
This game was equally important for both Juventus and Manchester City. Juve boss Thiago Motta played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation, while City boss Pep Guardiola also set up his side with the same formation.
The match started with the two sides playing aggressively at Allianz Stadium. Man City looked more threatening from the start and had a great chance to take the lead. Kevin De Bruyne set up a wonderful ball to Haalan, who failed to beat Juventus keeper in the 34th minute. However, in the first half of the match, neither team saw any goal.
But the scenario started to change after the break. It was Italian striker Dusan Vlahovic who drew the first blood for the Old Lady as he scored the opening goal in the 53rd minute with a powerful header. This goal was a massive push for Juventus, and they became more compact in the remaining minutes.
Despite City’s continuous attack, Juventus maintained a solid defense in the entire game and successfully kept a clean sheet. Moreover, the Old Lady hammered the last nail to City’s coffin when Weston McKennie scored a brilliant goal with a flying volley in the 75th minute.
Man City, however, failed to break the defense of Juventus in the remaining minutes. As a result, Juventus secured a much-needed win over Man City and remain alive in the UCL.
Reactions
Despite the defeat and continuous poor results, Pep Guardiola is pleased with his players’ performance. “I love my team the way we play and the result is not going to convince me of the opposite. Congratulations on the way they defended, in the transitions they did it. But we were incredibly aggressive in our high pressing,“ said Pep.
He stated, “We won the long balls and the back four was really good. Of course, it was a cross and Vlahovic is strong in that position. But the way we played I’m really pleased.”
Meanwhile, Juve boss Thiago Motta is delighted with the way his team defended. The manager said, “Tonight we had to do a lot of things well, especially with regards to compactness and concentration. We defended well, without conceding space, and struck at key moments. It was a great performance from everyone, even those who came on later in the game, they contributed when called upon.”
