Pep Guardiola makes worrying admission to Manchester City ahead of Champions League clash against Real Madrid
It’s safe to say that the 2021/2022 season so far has been one to forget for Oleksandr Zinchenko, with just 21 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City since the start of the season.
With niggling injuries, Joao Cancelo’s exceptional left-back performance that kept him out of the squad and the Russian invasion of Ukraine that emerged as unexpected hurdles at various points in the season, the 25-year-old has struggled after shining on the European Championships last summer.
However, Nathan Ake’s injury coupled with his crucial role off the bench in Bernardo Silva’s goal against Brighton gave the fullback and left midfielder a start in Manchester City’s last 5-1 win against Watford.
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IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
IMAGO / PA images
On the other hand, the 51-year-old was not so encouraging in his analysis of the Premier League champions’ defensive performance against the 19e side placed.
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Guardiola added: “Today (against Watford) Manchester City’s four was not good enough defensively.”
With moments like Hassane Kamara’s attack, which saw City fail to resolve the goalscorer’s pairing with Emmanuel Dennis, who also got a clear run on goal from Joao Cancelo, it’s understandable why Guardiola was upset over his side’s shaky performance on the backside. â€
As City prepare for Real Madrid on Tuesday, the defense will have to take note of Oleksandr Zinchenko’s herculean display and try to replicate it against one of Europe’s most feared teams.
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