Sport
Guardiola Blames Missed Chances as City Fall 2-0 to Juventus
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered his thoughts on their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League, attributing the loss to a lack of sharpness in attack and vulnerability on counterattacks.
Goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie at the Allianz Stadium handed the Serie A side a significant win and left City struggling to find form.
This defeat adds to City’s recent woes, as they have now managed just one victory in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Even more concerning, the Premier League champions currently sit in 22nd place in the league phase standings of the Champions League, putting them at risk of an early exit from the competition.
This scenario is unfamiliar for Guardiola’s squad, who have been dominant in Europe in recent years.
Speaking to the press after the match, Guardiola reflected on his team’s performance.
“We played really, really well in terms of overall build-up and possession,” he said.
“But in the final third, we missed that decisive pass and finishing touch.
Juventus punished us on the counterattack, and we couldn’t recover from that.”
Despite the result, Guardiola remained positive about his team’s effort.
“I am so proud of these players. They gave everything and tried their best,” he emphasized.
“We’re going through a tough period, but I believe we can turn things around with better results.”
Guardiola also acknowledged the difficulty of the Champions League. “It’s never easy at this level,” he admitted.
“We’ve played well in recent matches against Feyenoord and Inter Milan, but mistakes at crucial moments have cost us.
We need to focus on getting at least one win in our final two games.”
City’s current form is raising concerns among fans and analysts.
After winning the treble last season, expectations have been high, but injuries, fatigue, and inconsistent performances are starting to take their toll.
The absence of key players like Kevin De Bruyne, who has been sidelined for months due to injury, has left City struggling to maintain their usual fluidity and creativity.
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has shattered a 71-year-old club record held by Alfredo Di Stéfano. On Wednesday, Mbappe scored his 28th LaLiga goal of the season in just his 32nd league game, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a Real Madrid player in their debut league season. Di Stéfano’s record of 27 goals from the 1953-54 season finally fell, but Mbappe still has two games left to extend his tally.
The match itself was a tense battle. Real Madrid needed an injury-time goal to snatch a 2-1 victory over Mallorca and keep their hopes alive in the title race. After going behind early to a Martin Valjent strike, Mbappe pulled one back in the 68th minute, and Jacobo Ramon sealed the win deep into stoppage time.
This win is crucial for Carlo Ancelotti’s team after a damaging defeat to Barcelona last weekend, which left Real four points behind their rivals. Barcelona can clinch the league with a win in their local derby against Espanyol, but a draw or loss would keep the title race wide open heading into the final two matches.
Di Stéfano remains one of Real Madrid’s greatest scorers with 306 goals in 392 games, but only Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Raul have surpassed his total goals for the club. Now, Mbappe is making his mark among the legends.
Super Eagles forward Tolu Arokodare has added his name to an elite list by becoming the sixth Nigerian to win the prestigious Ebony Shoe award. He now stands alongside legends like Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Godwin Okpara, Celestine Babayaro, and Paul Onuachu as Nigerian winners of the award, which is given to the best African player in the Belgian league.
Arokodare is the 34th recipient of the prize and was presented the award by Pierre Kompany, father of Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany. He beat tough competition from fellow Nigerian Raphael Onyedika, DR Congo’s Noah Sadiki, Moroccan talent Zakaria El Ouahdi, and Promise David—who now represents Canada.
Reacting to the win, Arokodare said, “I’m very happy and honestly speechless. It’s a huge honour to be the sixth Nigerian to win this. It means a lot to be part of Belgian and Nigerian football history.”
Manchester United icon Gary Neville has urged the club to clear out at least ten players this summer if they want to fix their ongoing struggles. It’s been a dismal season for the Red Devils, especially in the Premier League, where they’re on track for their worst finish ever. With 17 losses already, it’s their most defeats in over five decades.
Speaking on The Overlap, Neville didn’t hold back, saying, “There are about eight to ten players who need to go. Three or four will leave as their contracts run out, but the club has to actively move out five or six more—even if it means paying them off.” He went on to describe United as a “graveyard” for new signings over the past ten years, with Bruno Fernandes being the rare exception.
United currently sit 16th in the league with two matches left, but they still have a shot at ending the season on a high when they face Tottenham in the Europa League final later this month.
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