Could Man City Actually Finish Outside the UCL Spots?
Photo by Mark mc neill on Unsplash
Yes, they absolutely could. And in the words of the banner placed behind the goal at the recent UEFA Champions League game against Real Madrid: ‘Stop crying your heart out,’ City fans.
It’s ironic they placed the sign behind the goal to poke the Real Madrid bear and then lost—and that’s a common theme this year: Manchester City losing.
What a game it was, though. If you didn’t watch the first leg of the UCL game against Real Madrid, the second clash is Wednesday, 19th of February, at 8 pm and is well worth watching.
Will it be one of their final UCL games, or will they make it into the 25/26 UCL? Read on to find out.
It’s Not Looking Good…
The top four teams in the Premier League make it into the UCL. Manchester City is sitting in that fourth position, closely followed by Bournemouth, sitting just one point behind City. And with a recent loss to Real Madrid in the UCL, morale must be sinking at the Etihad.
Even Pep Guardiola did a recent press conference stating he doesn’t think he’s good enough to pull City out of the slump they’re in.
What do you think? Despite the Madrid crushing last-minute win, City came out on top to dominate Newcastle with a 4-0 win, but it’s the games that are coming that count.
You’ve got the second half of the UCL clash with Madrid straight into a battle against Liverpool and then Tottenham. For the UCL clash, would you bet on 10bet Sports Betting in South Africa for Madrid or City to win?
With Liverpool’s dominant season, Bournemouth could take that 4th spot this weekend.
Manchester City UCL History
City has had consistent participation in the tournaments under Pep Guardiola’s management, with deep runs into the knockout stages and typically until the end. And it was fate they’d meet Real Madrid in the knockout stages for the 4th year running.
Still, this year, even Pep is doubting himself, sharing his thoughts about his capabilities at a recent press conference. When you go from winning the treble to the odds not looking in your favor for any trophies, we’d think that way too.
Unfortunately, their performances in the group phase have not always been the best and now they’re in the difficult playoff spot, like Madrid.
The fresh phase of the UCL league has added additional hurdles. Unlike the past formats where City had the luxury of blindly skating through a normal group stage followed by knockout rounds, they’ve not had the best UCL performances.
What’s Happening This Season?
What is the actual problem for Manchester City? A nasty cocktail of poor form, injuries, and games crammed into an unreasonably tight schedule has caused chaos. Just recently, Jack Grealish limped off.
They started the season in a good spot, but their loss to Tottenham in the EFL Cup was a turning point. After that, results have been all over the place. While there are some dominant wins under the belt, like the 4-0 destruction of Newcastle, the general pattern of inconsistency is worrying.
According to Pep Guardiola, the team is underperforming, which is something he has admitted openly.
Squad depth is sliding into the black hole of factors. City’s midfield has not been effective in controlling some crucial matches, and Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term injury earlier in the season didn’t help matters at all.
Their UCL troubles couldn’t have been worse timing.
How Does UCL Qualifying Work?
The new 36-team league format has stepped up the game even more.
In the Premier League, unlike other leagues, the top four teams still receive automatic qualification. However, the progression from the group stages is based on ranking in the Champions League, which means City’s position currently sits at 22nd which is close to elimination. If they lose against Madrid on Wednesday, they say goodbye to the UCL.
One important detail is that the teams placed between 9th and 24th position go through a two-leg playoff to qualify for the last 16. If City sinks deeper, they won’t be able to contend at all.
Can City Turn It Around?
There is still a small window for City to save their dismal season, but they cannot afford to waste time. The fixtures against Liverpool and Tottenham will show us where City will likely finish the season.
Two big losses like that and maybe their 25/26 UCL hopes are over. If the team is able to get on a positive run of form, they can make the season cut for the top four in the Premier League and the UCL playoffs.
Pep Guardiola has been in tough situations before, and if any manager can turn things around, it is him.
Is it really possible for Manchester City to not qualify for the Champions League? It’s looking that way. The threats are huge, so let’s see what happens across the next few games.
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