MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Pep Guardiola stated that it would be “easier” for Manchester City to defend their Champions League title than it would be to win it for the first time as his team prepared to defend their title against Red Star Belgrade. However, after beginning the defence with a 3-1 victory at the Etihad, it was evident that the path to a second consecutive title will be fraught with obstacles.
Manchester City
If anyone at City — Guardiola included — genuinely believed that winning the Champions League the second time around will be easier just because their blue ribbons are on the trophy, the shock of falling behind to Osman Bukari’s 45th-minute goal was a jolt of reality.
“I enjoyed being down 1-0 at halftime,” Guardiola said. “Perhaps we needed it after capturing the Triple Crown. We must be champions who prove themselves, and we have done so.
The statistics may indicate otherwise, with Manchester City launching 103 attacks to Red Star’s 13 and creating 37 scoring opportunities to Red Star’s three, but the numbers only tell part of the tale.
Yes, Guardiola’s side emerged victorious after two Julián lvarez goals and a late Rodri goal cancelled out Bukari’s first-half opener for Red Star to make it 25 wins and two draws since the Etihad last witnessed a Champions League home loss in September 2018.
However, City did not have it easy, and their inability to convert so many of the opportunities they created could come back to torment them against more formidable opponents.
Red Star may have won as many European Cups as Manchester City, having lifted the trophy in 1991, but Barak Bachar’s squad is unlikely to relive the club’s greatest moment this season or in the near future.
Yet despite their status as a Champions League minnow, Red Star’s gutsy and fearless performance in their initial Group G match should serve as a precursor for what lies ahead for Manchester City this season.
“We tried to be courageous and fight,” said coach Bachar. “How they manipulate the ball, however, is astounding. However, we can look in the mirror and say that we had the courage to confront this great team.”
The Champions League presents Manchester City with distinct challenges than the Premier League. In Europe, opponents will play with greater ambition, and while this can be a high-risk tactic against a side as ruthless as Manchester City, it can also cause problems for even the greatest teams if they are not completely focused on the task at hand.
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Red Star were given confidence and belief by the array of first-half saves made by keeper Omri Glazer — the Israel international made six crucial stops before half-time — and it laid the platform for Bukari to put them ahead with a goal that given by VAR after initially being flagged offside by the assistant referee.
Guardiola stated that his halftime team talk was a repetition of his address at the London Stadium, as the team was in a similar position against West Ham United on the weekend before winning 3-1.
“We were playing exceptionally well in our last two games, but we were missing clear opportunities and struggling,” he said. Therefore, we advised them to maintain mental fortitude and proceed, and we did so.
Alvarez’s equaliser less than two minutes into the second half calmed City’s nerves and put them back on track for victory, but it took Glazer’s error, when he missed Alvarez’s free kick with a misdirected strike, for Manchester City to regain the lead on the hour mark.
From that point on, Manchester City victory seemed inevitable, but despite their dominance, something is lacking from the squad that won the Treble last year.
Certain issues are evident. Ilkay Gündogan has departed for Barcelona, and Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, and Jack Grealish are all injured. And it is still early in the season, a time when no elite team is expected to be at its absolute best.
However, despite City’s perfect start to the season, they have yet to face a formidable opponent, making it difficult to determine their true standing.
Guardiola is correct, however. The weight of expectation and even desperation has been lifted following City’s victory over Internazionale in Istanbul last June, making it simpler for the club to win the Champions League again.
On the pitch, however, the mission will be as difficult as ever, and they can thank Red Star for this crucial reminder.
