Have we seen the limits of Manchester City?
Champions League quarterfinals leg 1: Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City
In the land there is no doubt, Man City is the best team and they deserve to win the Premier League. In the continent it’s another story and Liverpool exploited the flaws of the Citizens. In just 30 minutes the game was over with a 3-0 lead, too much space was given to Liverpool. This tie is not over but it will take an exceptional performance from City to overcome the deficit from the first leg.
Moreover, Man City players were unable to find the frame in the first 90 minutes of this tie. Liverpool defended very well and outclassed by far City top to bottom. The stadium was on fire and the Reds delivered their best game of the season.
Liverpool coach Klopp comments on a perfect night:
“It was really good. They were two different halves. In the first half we were very active in all parts of the game, perfect in the spaces and very lively in closing the gaps. In this kind of defensively dominant, not too deep, being in the right area of the pitch so if we win the ball then there is a big opportunity for us to use the space they have to leave open, because you cannot have this kind of football with all these fantastic patterns when you cannot use all the space and be immediately compact again. It’s impossible.
We used that really well and scored three fantastic goals. Second half, we defended with no shots on target, very deep and concentrated. I like it as well but when we have the ball we have to play more football – that should be clear. We can do that, so there is still space for a lot of improvement but of course the result is the most important thing.
I never expected a perfect performance, I only expected us to be a real challenger and we were a real challenger. Now we are 3-0 up, that’s better than being 3-0 down, 100 per cent. But it’s not a decision.
Everybody knows that. We go to Manchester City and they want to strike back; they didn’t play badly, they only didn’t create the usual number of chances they do normally because we defended in a lot of moments outstandingly good. That’s the only way to get anything against Man City. We did it. Because of our quality, it’s 3-0 instead of 1-0. But, it’s half-time not more.
Today it was 3-0 at half-time and nobody was in the dressing room dancing around and celebrating the half-time result. Now it is exactly the same situation. This tie is 190 minutes or so, that’s it.”
Coach City Guardiola does not sound very optimistic:
“We didn’t create clear chances because they defended deep. We needed one goal but we couldn’t score it.
It is what it is, we have to accept it. Now in two days we have United at home, then two days after we have Liverpool. We’ll see what happens.
We didn’t create clear chances because they defended deep. We needed one goal but we couldn’t score it.”
