Why Man City have been losing the plot in Europe - and why they MUST fix it tonight, writes JACK GAUGHAN
Why Man City have been losing the plot in Europe - and why they MUST fix it tonight, writes JACK GAUGHAN
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Wheels up once Joao Neves was hurdling the advertising hoardings wearing an astonished look of somebody who had not only completed Paris Saint-Germain’s dramatic comeback but located himself six yards of space from a routine set play. Unforgivably all alone, 78 minutes into a crucial Champions League tie. Manchester City were not recovering from that, not in their fragile state at the febrile Parc des Princes, and were described as having sullenly traipsed over to their aircraft to whisk them straight home.
![[Pep Guardiola's inconsistent City side have suffered three extraordinary capitulations in the Champions League this season against Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, an Paris Saint-Germain]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/19/94608799-14334957-If_Manchester_Ct-m-28_1738092727427.jpg)
City usually stay overnight after European away fixtures – a steam, sauna, swimming pool in the morning – but decided against it for Paris, largely down to the short flight time. Pep Guardiola’s players will have been glad to have left the scene of the crime quickly and turn into their own beds.
![[Opta gave them higher chances of winning every game than finishing on just eight points]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/19/94608797-14334957-image-a-29_1738092764962.jpg)
The mood was predictably dark for a couple of days after, Guardiola actually pleasantly surprised by the response in beating Chelsea, and that lingering disappointment of the squad was borne out of the same old problems in Europe. As the Neves header skidded off the wet underneath Ederson, four City players were nervously glancing at the linesman for offside in vacant desperation. An aghast Manuel Akanji gestured towards Rico Lewis. Erling Haaland half-heartedly struck the ball against the netting. All of it screamed grim acceptance. The story is not new, merely a variation.
![[City had not learned their lesson by the time they faced PSG and conceded four after the break]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/19/94609065-14334957-image-a-30_1738093139117.jpg)
Two goals up after 53 minutes and losing by the 78th in what was effectively City’s fourth chance at nailing progression to the knockout stages. Four have come and gone, the fifth – and final – opportunity on Wednesday night when Club Bruges, unbeaten in 20 games and requiring a point to be absolutely sure of going through, arrive in town having rested the majority of their team at the weekend.
![[Exiting the Champions League at this stage would see City miss out on at least £10million]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/19/94609097-14334957-image-a-31_1738093220068.jpg)
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