Pep Guardiola admitted he’s grappling with self-doubt as Manchester City’s struggles deepen, with their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread after a 2-0 loss to Juventus on Wednesday.
Second-half targets from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie on the Allianz Stadium condemned City to their seventh defeat in 10 matches throughout all competitions, leaving them in a dismal twenty second place within the standings.
With solely two video games left within the group part, automated last-16 qualification appears out of attain. Guardiola’s males now face a fierce battle to stay within the prime 24 and safe a playoff spot.
“Of course, I question myself, but I’m stable in good moments and bad moments,” Guardiola mentioned.
“I attempt to discover a technique to do it. I’m extremely sincere. If we play good, I say we performed good, and at present I believed we performed good.
“Our sport will save us. We can do it. We conceded few possibilities in comparison with the Nottingham Forest sport that we received. We’re making the correct tempo.
“We missed the final move, didn’t arrive within the six-yard field on the proper time, or have the composure on the proper second.
“But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period, but I’m going to insist until we’re there.”
City now face a vital journey to Paris Saint-Germain, who’re additionally vulnerable to failing to qualify, subsequent month.
Guardiola accepts the highest 24 is now the one life like goal.
“It’s the target,” he mentioned. “We need one point or three points. We go to Paris to try to do it, and the last game is at home.”
Veteran midfielder Ilkay Gündoğan mentioned after the sport that he felt City had been affected by a lack of confidence, however Guardiola dismissed his participant’s feedback.
“I do not agree with Ilkay,” he mentioned. “Of course, it is tough, but except for one or two games in this period, we’ve played good.”
City now face one other check of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday.
“It (confidence) is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well,” Gündoğan instructed TNT Sports.
“You can see that typically we miss the ball or lose a duel, and also you see that we drop instantly and lose the rhythm. They [the opponents] don’t even have to do a lot, but it surely has such a giant impact on us proper now.
“Even more, you have to do the simple things as good as possible and create fluidity. Then it’s work hard again. This is how you get confidence back. Do the small and simple things, but in crucial moments, at the moment, we are always doing the wrong things.”
Juventus coach Thiago Motta was happy with the hosts’ efficiency, which boosted their hopes of constructing the highest eight.
“It was a deserved victory,” Motta mentioned. “We needed to defend as a staff and be able to assault with high quality.
“We have shown we can compete at this level, and now we have to do it consistently.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com