Manchester City's Champions League exit shows scale of task facing Pep Guardiola
Thursday 5 May 2016 11:49, UK
Manchester City's Champions League semi-final defeat by Real Madrid showed they are still a long way short of joining the European elite. The incoming Pep Guardiola has plenty of work to do to get them there…
You wouldn't have guessed this was one of the biggest nights in Manchester City's history. Manuel Pellegrini's men were only 90 minutes away from their first Champions League final when they took to the Bernabeu turf on Wednesday evening, but they trudged down the tunnel at full-time having barely put up a fight.
The 1-0 aggregate scoreline suggests a close encounter, but Madrid could hardly have had it easier over the two legs. Zinedine Zidane's men kept City at arm's length throughout the goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium last week, and it was a similar story in Spain - only they should have won far more comfortably.
There is no shame in losing to a side like Real Madrid, of course, but the grimly familiar manner of the defeat was tough to swallow for the thousands of travelling City fans, and a total of two shots on target in 180 minutes told the story of the tie.
At the Bernabeu, Madrid's failure to convert a string of chances after Fernando's 20th-minute own goal ensured there was a tense finale, but City only could only muster five shots on goal to Madrid's 15 overall, and they will not remember their first appearance in the Champions League semi-finals fondly.
On what should have been a momentous occasion, City's lack of urgency and intensity was alarming. The game simply passed them by for long periods, and it was revealing that, despite having just 44.8 per cent possession to Madrid's 55.2 per cent, City made fewer ball recoveries (45 v 56) and fewer tackles (20 v 22) than the hosts.
The passive approach allowed Madrid time and space to dominate central midfield despite the absence of their anchorman Casemiro. Luka Modric pulled the strings as Yaya Toure ambled around in place of the injured David Silva, while Toni Kroos completed more passes than Fernando and Fernandinho put together.
On the flanks, Madrid persistently took advantage of the space behind Kevin De Bruyne and Jesus Navas, with full-backs Dani Carvajal and Marcelo marauding forward to great effect from start to finish. In a defensive sense City's task was made harder by Vincent Kompany's early injury, but there could be no excuses for such a limp attacking performance.
The visitors came closest when Fernandinho flashed a low drive against the outside of Keylor Navas' post, but striker Sergio Aguero was unable to make an impact on his return to Madrid. The Argentine has now gone five Champions League games without a shot on target, and none of his 51 touches at the Bernabeu came inside Real Madrid's box.
The feeble all-round performance highlights the scale of the task facing the incoming Pep Guardiola, who will be charged with lifting the club into the European elite when he takes over - something Pellegrini has been unable to achieve in his three years at the helm, despite huge investment.
After consecutive last-16 exits to Barcelona in 2013/14 and 2014/15, City have shown little sign of improvement against Europe's big beasts. Last year's finalists Juventus beat them twice in the group stages earlier this season, and the meek showings against Madrid have left them with a feeling of déjà vu.
Even more worryingly for Guardiola is that City's big-game struggles have now extended to the Premier League, where they have failed to win any of their nine games against the top six this season. Another poor result against Arsenal on Sunday would put their Champions League qualification at risk.
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Guardiola will no doubt be keeping a close eye on events at the Etihad on Sunday as he prepares for his move to England, and he will also be pondering the state of the squad he is due to inherit. Against Madrid, its flaws were plain to see. Kompany's latest injury raises further questions over his reliability, and the captain is one of 11 City players aged 30 or above.
The Bayern Munich manager will be hoping for the opportunity to take City back to the Champions League semi-finals in the years ahead, but the club are still a long way from fulfilling their lofty ambitions. He has a big job on his hands to make it happen.
