Manchester City have again failed to defeat Lyon in the Champions League, drawing 2-2 in France this morning.
The result highlights that City have had it tougher than expected in the Champions League, conceding five goals in five matches. In comparison, they have conceded only five goals in 13 Premier League matches this season.
It remains to be seen whether this is a sign of things to come for City, who have traditionally struggled in the Champions League since their new ownership a decade ago.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been playing some magnificent football, and while they look set to dominate the Premier League again, they will face some tough hurdles in the Champions League.
Manchester City’s only European trophy came in 1970, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final over Polish club Gornik Zabrze. They are yet to win both the Champions League and Europa League.
Their best season in the Champions League was a semi-final finish in the 2015/16 season – they fell 1-0 on aggregate to eventual winners Real Madrid. They were eliminated by Liverpool in last season’s quarter-final, however elimination in the round of 16 has been common for the club, even during their Premier League winning seasons.
So far during this season’s edition of the Champions League, they have recorded strong 6-0 and 3-0 wins over Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, however it will be interesting how they match up against teams such as Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the latter stages of the competition.
They will not have the luxury of adding to their points tally against weaker opposition, as is the case in the Premier League. The Champions League features the best sides in Europe and it proves just how good a club is during any given season.
Guardiola has won the Champions League before, leading Barcelona to European glory twice. He is one of the best managers in the world and is definitely the man to lead City to their maiden Champions League title. However, they will have to prove they can reach the final first.
