There is always a different Manchester City team that fashion in Champions League. In the same week we are introduced with a dominating and invincible XI who seems to be the best in Premier League but when it comes to Champions League the same team becomes vulnerable, nervous and error-prone.
Last night was the testimony of same. Should I say that the Blues from Manchester were out of their traditional form, it won’t be wrong. The mentality in Champions squad feels null and void, devoid of all positivities and succumbed by pessimistic football.
Manchester City lost to Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-0 loss. Although they have the excuse of a big team and an away game, I in no way will consider it solely because of the team we are. We could have easily won the tie and had taken home advantageous away goal if it was not for our erroneous game play.
This is not a thing of BIG TEAM
The German midfielder Gundogan was of the parallel thoughts.
Gundogan told Sky Deutschland: “We were not brave enough in the game and we made a lot of simple mistakes. I have the feeling we are nervous in important Champions League games. We always make the wrong decisions. In these matches we always want to do something special because it means going through to the Champions League semi-finals. Sometimes less is more.”
“Negative events like Agüero’s penalty miss always set us back far too much. Had we scored from the penalty, we’d have taken Tottenham apart. But instead we withdrew from the game. That must not happen to a big team. That’s why we’re not there yet.”
We are known to make faltering decisions in the Champions League, especially in the knock-out games. The Aguero penalty miss says it all! 9 times out of 10, this man would have won us the lead but again it is the Champions League Syndrome that doesn’t take us through.
The Quadruple glory should not be left alone and second-leg tie at home will have to be fought like true Citizens where we as a team would take a step closer to achieving the impossible. No nervousness, no errors only City-like football.
