What’s Hot and What’s Not from Manchester City’s Champions League campaign

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Manchester City concluded their Champions League group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to bottom side Celtic on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola made several changes to his side given that qualification was already assured, but fell behind early on when Patrick Roberts, on loan from City, brilliantly put Brendan Rodgers’ side ahead.

However, their lead lasted just four minutes as Kelechi Iheanacho, who is set for an extended run in the team given Sergio Aguero’s Premier League suspension, equalised with a fine finish.

The draw means that City finish with nine points from their six matches, but they only lost once in those games – a 4-0 loss at Barcelona back in October.

The 3-1 win over the Catalans at the Etihad was the high point of their group stage campaign, but the amount of goals they conceded will be of concern to Guardiola, with ten the joint-most of any side who has qualified for the last 16.

The runners-up spot is always a precarious position to be in going into Monday’s draw, but City have already proved that they can take on and beat the best, so won’t fear anyone in the knockout stages.

In what has been a solid campaign thus far, here’s What’s Hot and What’s Not from their European adventure…

HOT – Man City 3-1 Barcelona

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

On the back of being thumped in the Nou Camp, City produced a sensational performance, and arguably their best under Guardiola, to beat Luis Enrique’s side 3-1 at the Etihad on November 1.

Lionel Messi had put the visitors ahead midway through the first half, but a Sergi Roberto error allowed Sergio Aguero to regain possession in the attacking third, play in Raheem Sterling, who squared for Ilkay Gundogan to finish.

The game completely changed on that moment, and after that City were excellent.

Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick gave the hosts the lead, and then Gundogan added his second 15 minutes from time to seal a famous win.

It’s a result that certainly announced City on the European stage and, coupled with Monchengladbach’s draw at home to Celtic, meant they were in pole position to qualify.

NOT – Barcelona 4-0 Man City

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

As much as City were brilliant in the home game, they were comfortably beaten at the Nou Camp a few weeks before.

Guardiola, on his return to the Spanish club, would have been reasonably satisfied with his side’s first half display, but they sloppily conceded to Messi 17 minutes into the contest.

And more defensive errors were to follow in the second half, with Claudio Bravo involved in a moment of madness which saw him sent off, and City guilty of losing possession prior to Messi’s second on the hour.

The Argentine completed his hat-trick eight minutes later after more sloppy City play, and Neymar added a fourth late on.

It was a ruthless display from Enrique’s side and, at the time, it left City in a precarious position, ahead of Monchengladbach by just a point after their win at Celtic Park.

HOT – Home form

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

City have struggled at home in the Premier League this season, winning just three of their seven games and none of their last four.

Yet it’s been a totally different story in Europe.

Guardiola’s men battered Monchengladbach 4-0 before that excellent win over Barcelona and, although they only drew against Celtic on Tuesday, a much-changed line-up still produced a decent enough display against Rodgers’ side.

Seven points from nine is a fantastic return, and they’ll hope to take that form into the knockout stages, and prove once again to be tough to beat at the Etihad.

NOT – Goals against

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

City conceded ten goals in the group stages, the joint-most of any side who has qualified, and although five of those were against Barcelona, there must be defensive concerns for Guardiola.

They defended poorly away at Celtic in a 3-3 draw, and the errors away at Barca would have been hard to take after City matched the Catalans for much of the first half.

Several of the ten goals conceded were avoidable, and it’s something they will have to address going forward if they want success in the competition.

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