Guardiola’s City search for defensive solidity in tough Bayern Munich test

M anchester City are stuck in a Groundhog Day of Champions League defensive disappointments under Pep Guardiola. For the generation’s pre-eminent manager, hired to lead the club to its inaugural triumph, fixing this achilles heel has been a Sisyphean challenge he hopes to finally overcome at a seventh attempt.

After Leipzig were eviscerated 7-0 in City’s last outing in the competition, this was high on the mind of a manager who referred to a number of the reverses suffered due to his vulnerable rearguard. The victory was decorated by Erling Haaland scoring five yet Guardiola demurred when asked if the Norwegian’s goals are what City missed in the previous disappointments dealt them by Monaco, Liverpool, Tottenham, Lyon, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

“I don’t think so,” Guardiola said. “The reason why is that we concede a lot of goals. We scored three goals here against Real Madrid last year, six against Monaco [2017], four against Tottenham [2019]. A lot of time we were out because we conceded a lot. Right now these guys defend really well. And we had Sergio Agüero before Haaland with this instinct to score.”

A potted history of each knockout would be a medley of misdemeanours in front of the City goal. Guardiola’s reference to “right now” is telling from a manager who is worried his rearguard will offer yet another repeat of wilting in the white heat of a sudden-death tie.

Bayern’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, who plotted City’s greatest blow – Chelsea’s triumph in the 2021 final – is sure to instruct his side to again try to beat their opponent’s high line as Kai Havertz did when running in behind to score the winner in Porto. On that day Rúben Dias and John Stones were in central defence, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kyle Walker the