Manchester City experienced a major setback as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Juventus in a recent Champions League clash. This loss has further deepened the crisis for Pep Guardiola's side, who are now at risk of an early exit from the prestigious tournament.
The match, held in Turin, saw goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie, which sealed City's fate and marked their seventh defeat in ten games.
Ilkay Gundogan, a key figure in the Manchester City squad, did not hold back his disappointment following the match. Speaking to TNT Sports, he expressed his frustration, stating, "It's very disappointing. We had chances to actually score a few goals but, at the moment, it just feels like every attack we concede is so dangerous."
Gundogan highlighted the team's tendency to overcomplicate situations, leading to careless mistakes during crucial moments. He added, "Sometimes we are a bit careless; in the duels and overcomplicating things."
The German midfielder also pointed out a collective lack of confidence within the team, which has been affecting their performance on the pitch. "That's a big part of it and that's a mental issue as well," Gundogan explained.
"You can see that. If we miss the ball or lose a duel, you see that we drop immediately and we lose our rhythm." This lack of confidence has made it easier for opponents to capitalize on City's mistakes, as seen in the match against Juventus.
Despite the ongoing struggles, Gundogan remains optimistic about the team's ability to turn things around. He believes that the squad is aware of what is going wrong and is working on addressing these issues in training.
"I feel we know exactly what’s going wrong! We know the reasons, and if you look at most parts of games, even today, we actually don’t play bad! We play quite good, create chances. We just miss to score, and then in these games, if you give away one chance they score, it’s not that easy to come back," he said.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, maintained a positive outlook despite the defeat. In his post-match comments, he stated, "We played good, really, really good. We missed the last pass, the last action when we arrived (in the box). We conceded few (chances)." Guardiola's remarks suggest that he still has faith in his players' abilities and believes that they can overcome this challenging period.
The defeat to Juventus has left Manchester City in a precarious position in the Champions League, with their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages hanging by a thread. The team must now regroup and focus on their upcoming fixtures to salvage their European campaign.
As the pressure mounts, Gundogan emphasized the importance of each player taking responsibility for their performance. "The only thing right now is every player, individually has to question himself, what to do better, how they can individually sacrifice more to contribute, so we can get collectively back," he urged.
Manchester City's next challenge will be a Premier League encounter against Manchester United, where they will aim to bounce back and regain their form. The team is determined to find the "switch" that will turn their fortunes around and restore their confidence on the field.
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