Pep Guardiola and Ilkay Gundogan appeared to clash over Manchester City’s tactics following their 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The loss, marked by goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie, left City in disarray, with just two wins from six group-stage matches and sitting at a lowly 22nd in the Champions League standings.
City’s alarming slump continues, with only one victory in their last 10 matches across all competitions—an unprecedented struggle in Guardiola’s tenure.
Speaking post-match, Gundogan voiced his frustrations, hinting that the team’s approach might be overly intricate, leading to avoidable mistakes.
“It’s very disappointing,” Gundogan shared with TNT Sports. “We created chances but didn’t capitalize, and it feels like every attack we face is dangerous. Sometimes, we’re careless in duels, overcomplicating simple plays. Instead of holding possession, we lose the ball, giving them counter-attacks. We’re built to dominate possession, but it’s not clicking right now.”
The German midfielder also acknowledged a potential mental block within the squad. “One missed ball or duel, and we drop our rhythm. It’s not even about opponents outplaying us—they’re disrupting us too easily. We know what’s wrong, but fixing it in the moment isn’t happening.”
When these comments were relayed to Guardiola, the City manager appeared puzzled. “He said that? No, I don’t think so,” Guardiola responded.
“Today, we did what we needed to do. We played well, controlled the ball, and minimized errors. Italian teams defend deep and compact; it’s what they excel at. Despite that, we performed as we should, but the result didn’t follow.”
Guardiola has consistently defended his team’s performances during their recent struggles, maintaining that the execution in front of goal has been their primary downfall.
“I’m proud of these players,” he reiterated. “We played really, really well today, but we missed the final pass or action. It’s tough in Europe, but the effort is there. I believe we’ll turn this around.”
City’s next challenge comes in the form of a highly anticipated Manchester derby on Sunday, where they’ll aim to regain momentum amid mounting pressure.