Why Man City’s shock Champions League loss at Bodo/Glimt was very bad news for Pep Guardiola | Football News

Manchester City’s recent troubles continued after a shock 3-1 Champions League loss at Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday, a defeat which spells trouble for Pep Guardiola for a number of reasons

City have no form at all to call upon

Apart from victories in the Carabao and FA Cups, incredibly City have not won since scrapping a fortunate, late 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest on December 27.

Defeat in the Arctic Circle means Guardiola’s side have now lost two games in a row – they went down to defeat in Saturday’s Manchester derby as well – for the first time since November.

Meanwhile, having ended the year with eight straight victories, City have since won only two out of their next seven matches for the first time since December 2024 and January 2025.

“This is a group seemingly short on confidence,” says Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom. “Since the turn of the year it has been pretty miserable, certainly in the Premier League.

“They haven’t won in four in the league. Three consecutive draws were followed by that pretty abject defeat at Man Utd, which will have really hurt.”

And while nobody is calling this a crisis, especially as City could still, at least in theory, win the Quadruple, they do suddenly look short in every part of the field.

City’s tricky January:

Jan 1 – 0-0 draw at Sunderland in the Premier League.

Jan 4 – 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Jan 7 – 1-1 draw at home to Brighton in the Premier League.

Jan 10 – 10-1 win over Exeter in the FA Cup.

Jan 13 – 2-0 win at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Jan 17 – 0-2 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League.

Jan 20 – 1-3 defeat at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

We have the feeling that everything is going wrong in many details and we have to try and change it.

Short of options and vulnerable at the back

As in Saturday’s Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford, City once again looked all at sea at the back at the Aspmyra Stadion, especially in the heart of their back line where Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne, who was badly at fault for the hosts’ first two goals, were unable to cope with Bodo/Glimt’s pacy forward duo.

Yes, a youthful City were without 11 senior players through either illness, injury, suspension or ineligibility, including recent new centre-back signing Marc Guehi, as well as first-choice central defenders Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones.

However, the ease with which the Norwegians – who had never even won a Champions League match before tonight – regularly carved through their opponents will have shocked City’s fans and Guardiola surely cannot wait to hand Guehi his debut in Saturday’s Premier League clash at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Haaland is running on empty

Guardiola described Erling Haaland, who surprisingly played the first half of City’s 10-1 FA Cup third-round romp against Exeter City on January 10, as “exhausted” a week ago.

Since then, the normally prolific Norway striker has suffered a rare embarrassment in his City career when being hooked at Old Trafford on the weekend.

And Tuesday’s return to his homeland was equally forgettable as the 25-year-old drew another blank in front of goal, including spurning a huge chance to bring his side back into the game just before half-time when unusually firing wide of the gaping goal.

As a result, Haaland is now without a goal from open play for a month, while he only has one penalty in his last eight encounters and if City are to have any chance of getting their stuttering season back on track, then they need their main man to start scoring again and fast.

February fixture congestion on the cards?

As it stands, City have slipped down to seventh place in the Champions League standings.

But their position in the top eight is now very vulnerable following tonight’s shock defeat and it could get even worse after Wednesday night’s results,

Were they to drop out of the top eight, and City’s final group game is at home to Galatasaray next Wednesday, it would mean a double header Champions League playoff and an ultra-congested February fixture list.

And that is the last thing Guardiola’s already-stretched side needs right now as they continue to battle on all four fronts.

“What the Bodo/Glimt defeat does do is it adds a jeopardy to this Champions League campaign and it means that from a position of relative strength in that top eight, they may well start next week’s final matchday outside the top eight, and perhaps they might need a few favours from elsewhere,” says Ransom.

“Given how tough this schedule has been, no one at City will want an extra two fixtures in the playoffs.”

Here’s how City’s fixture list in February could look if they finish out of the top eight:

• February 1 – Tottenham (a), Premier League
• February 4 – Newcastle (h) – Carabao Cup semi-final second leg
• February 7 – Liverpool (a), Premier League
• February 11 – Fulham (h), Premier League
• February 14 – Salford – FA Cup fourth round
• *February 17 or 18 – Play-off first leg, Champions League
• February 21 – Newcastle (h), Premier League
• *February 24 or 25 – Play-off second leg, Champions League
• February 28 – Leeds (a), Premier League

Automatic Champions League qualification in jeopardy

While things are not looking quite as bad as last season, when City limped to a lowly finish of 22nd place in the new-look Champions League standings – for which they were handed a horror knockout phase playoff against then holders Real Madrid, which they lost – they are now in danger of slipping out of the top eight needed to avoid such a scenario happening again.

Last season 16 points were required to get into the top eight, which would mean City – currently on 13 points – would have to win their final game at home to Galatasaray next week to reach that total.

But without key midfielder Rodri now after his ill-disciplined sending-off on Tuesday and no way to plug the gaping gaps in central defence, there are no guarantees Guardiola’s team will be able to get past the Turkish champions, who having already beaten Liverpool also have their eye on a top-eight finish.

Your views: ‘Pep has run his race at City’

Can Guardiola turn tings around at Man City? He are a selection your views…

Marko: I think Pep has run his race, just like a few of the City players. He can’t seem to adjust tactically these last few years.

James Jones: I don’t think he can turn it around. It’s game over. I think the players know he’s leaving soon and have given up. Sad times ahead.

Glen: City’s golden period is finally coming to an end. Too many changes over the last 12 months, half the players being reverted in positions they have never played before. Is Pep the GOAT? Probably. Unsackable? Never.

Charlesgalo05: Pep has run out of ideas. He keeps favouring players who are out of form and it’s costing us big time.

Mike: We have top class players even without the injuries. Our problem is the tactics – slow build-ups give every opponent the chance to organise the solid defence, and then when we lose the ball they chip over us and have a clear run for goal. Pep should go – we’ve had the best of him.

Gaz15: He’s looked drained this past 6 to 12 months. I think he will be gone by the end of the season, latest.

Daniel Wilde: I think Pep will turn it around at City and go on to win the Carabao and FA Cups, and hopefully Champions League.