By Shaffie A Mtambo
Manchester City’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League has laid bare the team’s lack of belief and ageing squad.
Despite taking the lead twice, City were unable to hold on, succumbing to Real’s trademark late surge.
The defeat has raised questions about City’s ability to compete with the best teams in Europe.
Manager Pep Guardiola admitted that his team’s lack of stability and composure had cost them dearly.
“We are not stable enough. I have been here for many years, and we’ve been an extraordinary team, a machine every three days.
“This year, I accept when the opponent is better, but at the moment, I am not good enough to give composure to the team to manage these situations”,said Guardiola
The defeat has also highlighted the need for City to refresh their squad.
With players like Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva approaching the twilight of their careers, City need to bring in younger talent to inject new energy into the team.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, demonstrated their ruthless efficiency, scoring two late goals to turn the game around.
The Spanish giants have a reputation for being able to win games in the dying minutes, and they lived up to that reputation at the Etihad Stadium.
The defeat leaves City facing an uphill task to turn the tie around in the second leg at the Bernabeu.
However, Guardiola remains optimistic, saying that his team can still win the tie if they can find the right balance and composure.
