There are few who would doubt Manchester City have been handed a series of difficult draws in the Champions League since they first qualified back in 2011.
Their groups have been consistently difficult, and with their own inhibitions often holding them back against Europe’s elite, it’s left them struggling to replicate their domestic form in a competition their owners desperately want to win.
This season, though, many feel it will be different. City have added real quality to their squad over the summer, and their perfect start in the Premier League—five wins from five without conceding a goal—has seen optimism increase. They are English football’s brightest hope in this season’s Champions League.
Their opening match in Group D offered signs of improvement from their previous European campaigns. City looked comfortable against Juventus and controlled large parts of the game. The nervousness that has blighted them in the past appeared to have gone. They looked more at home.
Ultimately, though, it followed a familiar pattern. They lost 2-1 having led thanks to an own goal from Giorgio Chiellini, and were then punished by two excellent goals, the first from Mario Mandzukic, before a superb strike from Alvaro Morata won it for the Old Lady. City will look back and feel they were outdone tactically rather than outplayed completely.
This season’s fast start in the league has been down to their high-intensity pressing game, quick passing and willing runners in every area. Against Juventus, as has been the case so often in Europe, they were sucked into a more-pedestrian pace and then punished on the counter.
It was a tactical masterclass from Massimiliano Allegri’s side. They defended superbly, soaked up City’s pressure and showed ruthless efficiency when presented with chances—a classic European away performance that demonstrated their intelligence and quality.
City have only once managed a win in an opening Champions League group game since entering the competition in 2011—a 3-0 win away at Viktoria Plzen in 2013.
Their slow starts have often set the tone for their following matches, and Manuel Pellegrini, whose own future is, arguably, intertwined with his side’s performance in this season’s competition, will be hoping for a quick response.
“The last two seasons we started losing the first game and qualified for the next stage," said Pellegrini afterwards.
He is, of course, correct in his assertion, but City, with their wealth of talent, want to top the group to avoid a more difficult last-16 encounter, and to do that they need to be on the front foot rather than playing catch up.
They have won just five of their last 15 home games in the Champions League, a poor record that gets to the heart of their problems.
City’s qualification from last season’s group stage was achieved by the narrowest of margins. They had two points from their first four games and looked to heading out when they were 2-1 down with five minutes to go against Bayern Munich in the fifth, only for a late rally to save them. Pellegrini needs a more comfortable passage to the last 16 this season to prove he has made progress.
#MCFC have won five out of 15 home games in the Champs Lge: Viktoria Plzen, CSKA Moscow, Villarreal and (x2) an already-qualified Bayern.
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) September 15, 2015
They need to be more ruthless in attack. Raheem Sterling missed two clear-cut chances, and in the absence of Sergio Aguero, who started on the bench having suffered a knee injury in the game at Crystal Palace on Saturday, they lacked a cutting edge in the final third. They paid a heavy price for their profligacy.
PELLEGRINI: (On Aguero fitness) "He was not for 90 minutes. It was a risk to use him but fortunately he had no problems." #mcfc
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) September 15, 2015
After an even first half, City began to take over after the break and went ahead when David Silva’s corner was headed into his own net by Chiellini under intense pressure from Vincent Kompany. The Italy international claimed a foul, and he had a point. The City captain showed more desire to win the ball, but he also climbed on the defender’s back to try and win the ball.
City didn’t care. They were beginning to seize control of the match. Once they scored, the stage seemed set for them to go on and win the match comfortably.
But Juventus had the two best players on the pitch in Paul Pogba and Gianluigi Buffon—both of whom were crucial to the result.
Buffon, 37, produced a world-class double save that kept his side in it at 1-0 and further underlined his credentials as one of the greatest-ever goalkeepers. Allegri was unequivocal afterwards, saying: “Buffon is someone who is an extraordinary goalkeeper, perhaps the best ever in the history of football.”
It was the turning point in the game. Had Sterling put his chance away, City, you feel, would have secured three points without too much trouble. They were playing well and, for once in the Champions League, looked comfortable. “I expect that when we have chances we must score,” Pellegrini said in his post-match press conference, clearly aware of how costly his side's misses were.
But Pogba, 22, showed why he is Europe’s most wanted man with a performance full of pace, power, energy and technical quality. Juventus managed to hang on to him in the summer, despite interest from Europe’s superpowers, and Allegri will be thankful after his near-faultless display was the catalyst for their first win this season.
He is a player on the cusp of greatness. If his upward trajectory continues, he could be the star of his generation. He’s the heir to Yaya Toure’s throne—the only player in world football with the same mix of power, pace, stamina, tackling ability and attacking brilliance.
It was his wonderful ball to the back post that saw Juventus equalise. Eliaquim Mangala, who has been exceptional this season for City, will be disappointed Mandzukic lost him to tap home, but the quality of Pogba’s delivery was remarkable.
The Bianconeri then went ahead. A long ball bounced unkindly off Aleksandar Kolarov and fell nicely for Morata, who curled the ball left-footed beyond Joe Hart. It was another moment of individual brilliance that punished City—a familiar story in a merciless competition they are yet to master.
There was still time for more Buffon brilliance as he tipped away Toure’s curling long-range effort. Juventus hadn’t been dominant, but they produced the crucial moments when it mattered. They outfoxed City and left with a perfect start to their Group D campaign.
For City, there were positives. This wasn’t another case of them looking overawed or uncomfortable in Europe. They need to be more efficient and take their chances when they come, but there appeared to be a belief they belonged at this level, which hasn’t always been the case.
And in Fernandinho, they had one of the stand-out players on the pitch. He may not have been at his best last season, but he’s been outstanding thus far in this campaign.
He made driving runs, produced tackles and interceptions high up the pitch and tried to set the tempo for City. He sits when appropriate and breaks up play, recovering possession superbly, but he also knows when to break and add numbers to City’s attack. On this form, he looks a complete midfielder again.
PELLEGRINI: "We played better football but Juventus had the experience to defend and scored beautiful goals." #mcfc
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) September 15, 2015
Afterwards, Pellegrini felt his side had dominated. “I think it was a strange game,” he said. ‘I don’t think we deserved to lose. We played better than Juventus.
“We had three clear opportunities to score. Buffon made some very good saves and I think we were very unlucky especially for the first goal. We controlled the game.
“We have 15 points more to play. It depends on the way we play the next games. We have to play against Juventus there and have another four games. We will see who has the more points.”
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2567409-manchester-city-pay-price-for-profligacy-againsy-juventus-in-champions-league
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