Pep Guardiola ‘questioning self’ after latest Man City loss at Juventus

TURIN – Pep Guardiola admitted that he is questioning himself as his Manchester City team slumped to yet another defeat, this time at Juventus in the Champions League on Dec 11.

City fell 2-0 in Turin, their seventh loss in 10 matches in all competitions, putting their qualification for the last 16 at risk.

Asked by reporters whether he was questioning his management, Guardiola replied: “Yeah, of course.

“Of course I question myself in the good moments and the bad moments.

“I was stable in the good moments and I’m stable in the bad moments... My biggest challenge is when they give me the opportunity to be a manager and get results to continue to work.

“If I would miss (getting past) the big challenge in the first season, the second season, I wouldn’t be here.”

The 2023 European champions succumbed as Dusan Vlahovic put Juventus ahead early in the second half when goalkeeper Ederson was unable to keep out his header.

City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was denied an equaliser by a fine Michele di Gregorio save, before Weston McKennie made it 2-0 with an acrobatic finish in the 75th minute.

The result leaves Juventus in 14th place on 11 points with two games left, a tally that is expected to be enough to guarantee them at least a place in the knockout-phase play-offs.

Vlahovic’s header, his 10th goal of the season, and substitute McKennie’s volley also snapped a frustrating four-match run of draws for the Italian giants and brightened the mood among fans who have been disappointed with Thiago Motta’s opening few months as coach.

The Serie A side had drawn 11 of their 21 matches in all competitions coming into the match, but a rugged display ended with fans roaring with joy and colouring the stands of the Allianz Stadium by waving flags.

“The whole team played well, we did everything that we had to do. It’s a fantastic result that can push us on for the rest of the season,” said Vlahovic.

“We’re lacking a bit of experience because we’re a very young side. But here at Juve there isn’t time, you have to get results straightaway.”

City, meanwhile, are just one point above the bottom 12 places which bring elimination from the Champions League.

Five points separate them from the top eight places and automatic qualification for the last 16, with matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge remaining in their league-phase campaign.

While Guardiola is “questioning” himself, he remained upbeat about his team even after they recorded just one victory in their last 10 games across all competitions.

“We played good, really really good,” he insisted.

“So we missed the last pass, the last action, of course, some transitions happen... but I’m so proud of these players, they give everything and they tried, and now we live in this period, and hopefully we can change and get results.

“I know it’s difficult, it’s difficult in Champions League, in Europe, but we play really good.”

The competition’s new format sees the top eight teams after eight rounds of the league phase advance into the round of 16 and avoid a play-off, which is now almost out of reach for Guardiola’s team.

“We have two games. We need one point maybe, one victory, the last one is at home, and the situation we are in is because of the game against Feyenoord (when City gave up a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3) and especially Inter Milan (a 0-0 draw),” the City boss added.

“But our three games away were really, really, really tough and you have to accept it. And when we turn around, we don’t forget that period. We appreciate more what we have done in the past, what they are going to do in the future.”

City now have the Manchester derby at the weekend, hardly the sort of fixture they need in the midst of this dismal run.
AFP, REUTERS