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.