#360view: City show new-found maturity

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Growing up fast: Manchester City.

    Vincent Kompany has witnessed all 28 of Manchester City’s games in the Champions League since first earning their place at Europe’s top table in 2011.

    – RATE, SHARE & WIN: ValoraFutbol Fan Ratings
    – FOLLOW: Live football scores around the world

    His view that Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over Sevilla was “probably our best performance” in the competition therefore comes with a considerable degree of authority and is more than just lip service.

    Manchester City, and not just in terms of results, have been a disappointment in the Champions League, unable to replicate their powerful, domineering performances of the Premier League. It has, on many occasions, been like watching a totally different side.

    After the loss to Juventus on Matchday 1, it was a case of same old story as a contest they led finished in a 2-1 defeat. But three games later and they are now into the last 16.

    Granted, it has not been without further drama as they rode their luck at times in Monchengladbach before Sergio Aguero’s last-minute penalty winner. Kevin De Bruyne was also on hand to provide a 90th minute strike to overcome Sevilla two weeks ago.

    Two games that could so easily have been draws and Group D would be taking on a very different complexion. But bad sides don’t tend to score last-minute goals to win games, especially not in Europe, and while opposing fans may be quick to prefix City’s progress as “fortunate”, there’s a reason all the best teams tend to get lucky.

    True to Kompany’s assessment, Tuesday night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan showed City at their best, and not just in continental competition.

    The visitors, without Sergio Aguero and David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne playing just 17 minutes, took 22 shots to Sevilla’s 11. The Andalucians having won their three previous league games at home, including a 2-1 victory over Barcelona. 

    City were in control – at both ends – and it was a marked departure from previous encounters, filled with trepidation.

    “We weren’t naive, we were solid,” was another telling revelation by Kompany. With Fernandinho bossing midfield, and the defensive unit impressive, in returning to a traditional ‘British style’, City’s foreign legion delivered their most complete display yet.

    Manuel Pellegrini appears to have taken the shackles off in recent weeks, in more ways than one. Domestically they are, when the occasion suits, scoring goals at will: six against Newcastle and five against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. But at the same time there is a degree of solidity, maybe sparked by Aguero’s injury or the 4-1 loss at Spurs. 

    The goalless Manchester derby was tedious at best but it was City’s first clean sheet for eight matches. They went into the game looking a little vulnerable but it could prove to be an important building block in the evolution of their season. Pellegrini’s almost legendary tactical stubborness is slowly slipping. City are finding a different way to play.

    Pragmatism, as ugly as it may seem, is a necessary evil at times. What is crucial now is to secure top spot in the group. Never mind the glamour of Barca, Madrid or Bayern, they can wait. City need a winnable tie to build on this momentum and confidence.

    Juve reached the semi-finals last year beating a poor Dortmund side and then Monaco over two legs. With such enhanced belief, a group of players that had previously underperformed in Europe, then reached the final. Sound familiar?

    Recommended