UCL: Again, Man City suffer another defeat to Juventus

Manchester City’s struggles deepened on Wednesday as they suffered a damaging defeat to Juventus, jeopardizing their chances of advancing to the Champions League knockout stage.

Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie sealed a crucial 2-0 victory for the home side, strengthening Juventus’s bid to secure automatic progression as one of the top eight teams in the league phase.

For City, the result marked their seventh loss in 10 matches across all competitions, with only one win during this dismal run.

This latest setback leaves Pep Guardiola’s side in 22nd place in the Champions League standings with just two group games remaining—an away clash against Paris Saint-Germain on January 22 and a home match versus Club Brugge a week later.

While teams finishing 9th to 24th advance to a playoff round, City now sit only a point ahead of PSG in 25th, heightening the pressure on their final fixtures.

Against Juventus, City once again failed to reach the high standards they’ve set in recent years.

Their attack lacked sharpness, managing only one shot on target in the first half—an effort from Erling Haaland, played in by Kevin De Bruyne, which was denied by goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio.

The second half proved decisive. Vlahovic opened the scoring with a header that trickled over the line after a chaotic scramble.

McKennie doubled Juventus’s lead with a precise volley from Timothy Weah’s cross, punishing City’s defensive gaps as they pressed for an equalizer.

Ilkay Gundogan came closest for City, forcing a fine save from Di Gregorio, but their offensive efforts were largely uninspiring.

The defeat not only dealt a blow to their European aspirations but also left them with little momentum heading into Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.