Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie saw Juventus beat Manchester City 2-0 in Turin to leave Pep Guardiola’s side in danger of an early Champions League elimination.
City went into the game on a run of just one win in their last nine matches in all competitions and it showed in a cagey first half in which the visitors dominated possession, but managed just one shot on target at the Juventus Stadium.
However, it was the sort of opening you have come to expect Erling Haaland to bury, slipped through on goal by Kevin De Bruyne’s clever pass, only for Michele Di Gregorio to race off his line and claw away the striker’s dinked effort.
That miss proved costly eight minutes after half-time when Juventus made the breakthrough in scruffy fashion as Kenan Yildiz hung a ball up to the back post for Vlahovic to attack and power a close-range header past Ederson.
City responded to falling behind with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan both going close, before getting caught on the counter with a quarter of an hour to go.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland leaves the field after City’s latest loss
The hosts’ broke down their left before working the ball to Timothy Weah and although his initial cross was blocked, he picked out fellow substitute McKennie, who volleyed spectacularly past Ederson to end the game as a contest.
As a result, City lie way in 22nd place in the new Champions League standings and with just two games left to play – at 25th-placed Paris Saint-Germain and then at home to Club Brugge – they are in real danger of not even finishing in the top 24 and missing out on the play-offs after a seventh loss in their last 10 matches.
The pressure shows no sign of easing on City and Guardiola – they host Manchester United on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Sunday 15th December 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
Guardiola: When we turn it around, we will not forget this period
Man City boss Pep Guardiola on TNT Sport:
“We played really, really good, we missed the last pass and action when we arrive, we concede a few, the transitions happen, but I am so proud of these players, they give everything and tried and now we live in this period, but hopefully we can change with good results – I know it is difficult, it is always difficult in Champions League, but we played really good.
“We have two games and need one point maybe, one victory with the last one at home – we lost it against Feyenoord and Inter Milan, when we played really good again and that is what created the problems.
“But when you go to Sporting Lisbon in that moment, and to Turin, Paris, our three away games were really, really tough and you have to accept it.
“But when we turn it around, we will not forget this period, we will appreciate more what we have done in the past and what we are going to do in the future and now let’s continue to do it.”
Hendrie: The longer this goes on, the harder it’s going to get
Lee Hendrie on Sky Sports:
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Lee Hendrie takes a closer look at what went wrong for Man City following their 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League – with Man Utd next up for Guardiola’s side
“Man City are so predictable in how they approach games. That is where teams are figuring them out.
“Juventus are Juventus – they do not score many goals, they defend well and make it hard for teams, and then counter-attack.
“If I were Ruben Amorim watching that game tonight, I would copy what Juventus did – make them force balls out wide. What is the point of having [Jeremy] Doku on the pitch if not to provide crosses?
Dusan Vlahovic opened the scoring for Juventus
“I am watching the game, they are 2-0 down and still trying to find that perfect pass – why? Get the ball out wide to your full-backs, get support and put balls into the box.
“Try something a little bit different to try and break them down – Juventus just loved it.
“Juventus were not even that good tonight – they dug in, defended well, forced it out wide, made it hard for them and as soon as the first goal went in, it was game over.
“They brought on [Matheus] Nunes – I do not know why, I do not know what he brings to the side, I really do not. Savinho comes on and does absolutely nothing.
“It was one of those performances that was predictable and the longer this run goes on, the harder it is going to get for them.”
