Without a doubt, Pep Guardiola He is the protagonist of one of the horror series with the greatest drama in football when it comes to facing the real Madrid. His most recent agonized scare, which appeared in the form of a nightmare for the Catalan coach, happened with the epic comeback of the white club in the Champions League.
He Manchester City He wore his face high when he scored first and thus excite himself that the first clash against Madrid would be them. However, the “monster” of 15 glasses loaded on his shoulders, again sentenced a bitter result for Guardiola.
The City began to panic in the absence of minutes for the end of the first leg, showing the alarming lack of composure that its campaign has compromised. Brahim Díaz, put the ball as a substitute. The City was stunned and confused with the 2-2, but it could well have taken something positive from a draw. They simply had to endure.
But they could not make their second chance. Jude Bellingham was in charge of sentence, after the errors of the rival. Mateo Kovacic could not control a simple long ball, Rico Lewis lost a duel and Madrid took the victory goal.
The problem was not tactical, or technical. Nor a matter of tiredness. These players have not lost matches for not being able to run or win difficult individual battles or score at important times. They can still do those things.
What is happening is purely human. There were never so many data to explain the problems of each team, and temptation is to apply them to the City situation. Players must be running less. Its expected goals must be worse than in previous seasons. The amount of injuries should be a factor. More players must be in the red zone in terms of physical condition.
But there is no mathematical or scientific explanation. It may simply be due to a bad decision making, a loss of confidence and bad execution.
Guardiola must wake up at Santiago Bernabéu
As in a Freddy Krueger movie, his victims ended up life, after not being able to wake up from that terrible nightmare. Guardiola in this case lives a trauma of past editions and thus repeats his team is or not in form.
“I have been here for many years and we have been an exceptional team. I have no problem recognizing that this does not work as worked in the past. We all have to take responsibility, I first, but also the players. The truth is that now not We are stable enough, “PEP explained.
The next duel against Real Madrid will be in the Santiago Bernabéua place that Guardiola knows well, both in its years of glory with Barcelona, and nightmare in the City era. But if Guardiola knows something very well, it is getting out of problems if it is concentrated.
“Pep Guardiola is one of the best technicians in the world and is the only one who can turn this situation around,” said Manchester City player Kun Agüero.
