The Manchester City locker room explodes behind the scenes

More than a defeat. The reverse 3 to 2 Tuesday evening in the Champions League against Real Madrid was the drop of water that overflowed the vase already too full of Manchester City. Since the start of exercise 2024-25, Skyblues have not actually been spared, between the disappointing results and the many injuries, including that of the essential Rodri. But Tuesday evening, the troops of Pep Guardiola finally thought of taking their heads out of the water after having led twice against the Merengues (1-0, then 2-1) in the first leg. But in a few minutes, Real Madrid overthrew everything and won 3 to 2, making a step towards the qualification for the 1/8th finals of the tournament. On the Mancunian side, even if everything is not yet played, it is the grimace soup.

The defeat of too much

Especially since it was one of City's best matches for a long time. After the meeting, Pep Guardiola, who still inflicted scratches on the skull, seemed to be shot. “It happened to me several times, if something happens to me several times it is because I cannot find the solution. This is the year when Madrid is at its best level, we had a good result in the last minutes and we let it go (…) These are things that happened to us several times a year. We're going to try, it's mentally hard, we have difficult matches and we're going to move to Madrid, we will try to adapt to play a little more and qualify. ”

And he is not the only one to be touched. Indeed, the Manchester City locker room crashed behind the scenes as reported by the Manchester Evening News In various articles. In one of them, it is explained that the players were very “angry” After the annoying defeat against Casa Blanca. This new disillusionment was that of too much for a group that has been suffering for many months. In the privacy of the locker room, the Skyblues were furious and stretched. But they did not hide it publicly, since they were also by leaving the field after the final whistle then when they went to the mixed zone against journalists.

Erling Haaland's black anger

This was in particular the case of Ruben Dias, who made a mood gesture of the hand on the lawn at the time of the goal of the victory of Jude Bellingham. If some Manchester City players were “Incredicts”Erling Haaland was “furious”. The Norwegian, author of a double, took the goal of the Madrid very badly in the last minutes of the meeting. In the central round, he started going around in circles, before looking at his teammates and letting go of a few words full of rage. He also turned to certain teammates again by crushing frustration. After hugging a few hands at the end of the match, he directly returned to the locker rooms first, his face closed.

An hour later, the cyborg left the Etihad Stadium by refusing to stop to answer questions from journalists. Unlike him, John Stones responded to the media. He recognized that this defeat shook the club behind the scenes. “The first feeling is pain and anger. Once we have analyzed the match, we will have digested it and we have seen it more clearly, we will have a better vision of the suite. We must be very critical of ourselves and perhaps having difficult discussions between us to try to correct things. I really think we can get there. We have already done so in the past and we have to believe it. We are not off the race. I think we have everything in the locker room to go and get a result. ”

A nervousness on like outside the field

But you will have to release a big match and not tremble. AS also indicates that the Citizens are particularly “nervous” This season. “Rodri's injury not only made Manchester City lose his football identity, but also made Pep Guardiola's men very nervous. A team of Citizens, made up of players who won everything at Etihad Stadium and earlier in their careers, trembles in its crampons as the last minutes of the match approached. And what happened against Real Madrid (2-3), in the first leg of the knockout stages of the Champions League, is no exception this season. Once again, Manchester City “allowed” that a favorable result is canceled. “

AS added: “Because yes, it happened several times this season. Manchester City won 0-2 at the Parc des Princes. It was the seventh day of the group phase and Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City played for their lives. What happened after 90 minutes? The Luis Enrique team won 4-2. Just as serious, even more serious, was the draw with a taste for defeat suffered by the men of Pep Guardiola at home. Even with an advance from 3-0 to 16 minutes from the end, they could not rest against Feyenoord (3-3) (…) in the Premier League too. The ascent and defeat suffered against Brighton (2-1) in early November, sounded the alarm (…) More recently, Manchester City fans saw their great rival Manchester United return to their own ground (2-1) . “ Less serene, Manchester City, fifth of the Premier League, will however have to be solid Saturday against Newcastle (6th) then against Real Madrid next Wednesday in C1. Until then, the problems should be resolved in the locker room, where new tensions have appeared, as in the field. Pep Guardiola knows what to do.