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What went wrong for ‘fragile’ Manchester City in 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt
Manchester City have found themselves in a spot of Champions League bother after a humiliating 3-1 loss to Norway’s Bodo/Glimt.
Handing the Norwegian side their first ever Champions League win has City facing uncertainty as to whether they can finish in the top eight or face another playoff to reach the Round of 16.
In the aftermath of the defeat, City manager Pep Guardiola used the word “fragile” to describe the state of his players, and on a sub-zero night in the Arctic Circle, City looked frozen in time.
But what went wrong for City in what was one of the worst performances by the club in recent memory?
DAZN News’ Matt Astbury finds out.
Haaland goes missing (again)
Striker Erling Haaland is not afraid to speak his mind. He apologised to the couple of hundred City fans who made the trip to Norway and took full responsibility for his barren run in front of goal.
Haaland has scored just once in his last five games, and this drought is becoming a concern.
Against a team like Bodo, you would think Haaland would have the perfect attributes for what would be a tough physical test. Instead, he was a ghost.
He managed just two chances and there were struggles when it came to becoming a permanent fixture in Bodo’s penalty area. His average position found him closer to the centre circle than the opposition’s goal and when his main purpose is to score goals, being close to the halfway line is not going to cut it.
This partly will come down to the fact that Haaland is seen as an outlet for City. Someone who can hold up aerial balls and lay them off to his teammates. But even he was struggling to keep the ball under control, with it frequently bouncing off him and ending at the feet of Bodo’s players.
There are also other players at fault for Haaland’s misery with little service being provided. The two wingers on the night, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, did not create much for their teammate, creating just three chances in total, a disappointing tally for players of their ability.
The Max Alleyne honeymoon is over
City’s 20-year-old centre back Max Alleyne, has experienced the cutthroat nature of football in the past few days, and he will need to be of strong character after a poor showing in Bodo.
Currently partnering Abdukodir Khusanov in central defence, Tuesday’s game for Alleyne looks like one too many. There was nothing glaring in the derby loss to United at the weekend but maybe insecurities from the 2-0 loss have crept into Alleyne’s game, who was all over the place against Bodo.
He registered no tackles or interceptions, made just three clearances and played a role in Bodo’s first goal. As Sondre Brunstad Fet floated the ball towards goalscorer Kasper Hogh, Alleyne lazily arrived in the box, failed to put pressure on the striker and gave him plenty of space to score the header.
Alleyne has been thrust into a dumpster fire with next to no one available with notable experience to plug the gaps in City’s defence, and while he may see his game time minimised with the arrival of Marc Guehi, he will be pleased to get some respite after a dream start has quickly turned into a nightmare.
City’s invisible midfield
At times, City’s midfield was non-existent. There was too much space being left in the centre, giving Bodo free rein when it came to counter attacks.
A recovering Rodri sat in front of the defence, while Tijani Reijnders and Nico O’Reilly were positioned slightly ahead due to their attacking prowess.
This seemed to backfire, however, with O’Reilly frequently dragged out to the far side of the pitch. While this was likely a tactic used to try and create overloads, and create chances, it left Rodri vulnerable.
The Spaniard is yet to be fully fit after his ACL injury and having a Bodo attack charging towards you in what is a major moment in the club’s history is not the ideal.
Rodri’s rustiness showed. His two yellow cards in the space of 54 seconds in the second half showed that he is not up to speed. If he is struggling against Bodo, then it will only get worse against the better equipped teams.
The opposition running riot through City’s midfield with swift counters has often been the root cause of the team’s struggles this season, and if the Blues want to find themselves still in contention for major silverware, manager Guardiola needs to find a solution, and fast!
How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN
Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, offering differing selections of sports in each. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
