Pep Guardiola has conveyed to his Manchester City squad that conceding goals in the manner they did against Chelsea and RB Leipzig is “unusual,” particularly after being vulnerable to counterattacks in the Champions League.
Following a chaotic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge, City’s defensive performance improved against Liverpool. However, the defensive vulnerabilities resurfaced against RB Leipzig, conceding two goals in the first half before a second-half comeback secured a 3-2 win and progression to the knockout stages as group winners.
Both goals came from Lois Openda, who capitalized on breaks to score after latching onto long passes and beating Stefan Ortega twice.
It was another instance where City struggled defensively against swift counterattacks. Guardiola acknowledges this aspect needs improvement if they aim to replicate their achievements from the previous season.
“It’s not our norm to concede four goals like against Chelsea, but that’s the reality today,” Guardiola explained. “We discussed it. It’s part of football, but we must elevate our performance. The decisions against Liverpool were commendable, especially against rapid players. Sometimes our nervousness leads to unnecessary yellow cards.”
Guardiola highlighted the need for improvement in individual defensive duels, an area where City excelled in their previous successes.
“We need to win duels and be more robust. There were individual mistakes and sloppiness,” Guardiola added. “Similar to the Chelsea game, where we were solid but faltered. However, in attack, we created chances but couldn’t convert them. This experience might be valuable for our future improvement.”
Guardiola admitted surprise at RB Leipzig’s defensive approach, expressing dissatisfaction with his team’s first-half pressing. He praised Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku for their contributions off the bench, emphasizing the positive reaction in the second half.
“The reaction was positive, and Julian and Jeremy had a significant impact,” he stated. “Introducing a winger, Rico, assisted in executing our tactics, leading to our victory in the end.”
Guardiola concluded by emphasizing the need to showcase their resilience in the Champions League’s latter stages, particularly their ability to stage comebacks and sustain pressure on opponents for extended periods.
