UCL League Stage Final Matchday Preview: Is it the biggest game ever for Guardiola and Manchester City?
- Mayank Srivastava
- Jan 29
- 3 min read
The first stage of the new UEFA Champions League format is coming to a close, with the teams ready to play their final match in the league stage.
For the first time ever in the history of the Champions League, 18 matches will be played simultaneously, adding more excitement and thrill to the final matchday.
A lot is at stake as the fate of many clubs in this year's competition is yet to be decided, which will be finalized by tonight's results.
6 teams will join Liverpool and FC Barcelona to secure direct qualification for the Round of 16, while 18 other teams will try to secure a spot in the play-offs for the Round of 16.
While big clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and AC Milan, have managed to save themselves from a possible elimination by securing a spot, at least in the knockout play-offs, Manchester City’s fate hangs by a very thin thread.
Man City's day of reckoning: Is it the biggest game ever for Guardiola and his team?
City are heading into the final matchday of the league stage standing in 25th place, with just 8 points in 7 games, having just 2 wins so far in this year's edition of the Champions League.
In an extremely surprising unfolding of events, the ex-UCL champions and the reigning Premier League champions are currently in the danger zone and at major risk of getting eliminated from this season’s competition in the very first round itself.
More surprisingly, seeing a team led by Pep Guardiola being on the verge of elimination in the initial round itself is very hard to digest.
Man City’s presence in the Champions League has been very prominent since the arrival of the Spanish maestro. City's worst finish in the UCL since Guardiola's arrival has been in the Round of 16.
Even for Pep Guardiola, that was the worst ever Champions League finish of his prolific career, and the only time that a team coached by him finished only in the Round of 16.
In a must-win clash tonight, Man City will face Club Brugge, who themselves need a win in order to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Brugge, who haven't lost a single game in any competition since November, pose a massive challenge to Manchester City’s hope to survive, making things even more difficult for Pep Guardiola and his men.
“I think we are going to do it”: Pep Guardiola ignites confidence among Manchester City fans
Ahead of what appears to be one of the most crucial matches of his entire career, Pep Guardiola has issued a positive statement that will spark relief and confidence amongst the tense City fans.
In the pre-match press conference yesterday, the City boss said, “I think we are going to do it. The situation that we have is that we have to win the game, and if not, we will not continue in this competition.”
He further added, “We want to go through to have another chance to play another two games to have the chance of the next stages. It's not a problem; it's an opportunity”, as per ESPN.
Comentários