Manchester City trailed but then scored three unanswered goals against Red Star Belgrade. Photo: Getty Images/Oli Scarff Match review: Manchester City v Red Star Zvezda
Manchester City ended up easily winning their first Champions League match since winning the European title, although the victory came at a price and Bernardo Silva has added to the injury problems currently facing Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola's team finished the match with Stefan Ortega, Scott Carson (his backup goalkeepers) and Josko Guardiola as unused substitutes, such is his injury list so far. Bernardo picked up a muscle problem before the break and will miss the game against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
He joins Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish in the treatment room, although City's winning machine shows no sign of stopping. Just like last weekend against West Ham, Guardiola's side fell behind but turned the match around in the second half.
Julian Alvarez scored twice and Rodri added another after Red Star tasted a famous victory, scoring just after Bernardo limped off. Guardiola has growing injury concerns but his team, although small, is finding a way to win.
Rodri's technique for achieving a goal
Point from #UCL hero Manchester City pic.twitter.com/tOsuJIHl7M
&mdash ; Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 19, 2023
“We have problems, but it is what it is,” Guardiola said. “When we have five important players — really very important players — injured, it will be difficult to sustain this for a long time.
“But we cannot have the salaries, budgets and transfers to have 55 players. This will be chaos for the clubs and lead to bankruptcy. Sometimes it happens. It's a long time for Kevin, John still hasn't played, he needs a little more.
“Maybe Kova [Kovačić] will come back, Jack maybe in a week, 10 days will be there, but then it will be necessary create conditions. I prefer everyone to be there, but we are committed to these players, we have that mentality and that's good.»
There were 101 days between winning the treble and returning to action in the competition they craved, and it was 37 shots on goal that helped them win the match against Red Star. Omri Glazer, Red Star's goalkeeper, was matched by many of them, but eventually fired into his own net to score Alvarez's second goal.
Omri Glazer got caught in a dead end there
Manchester City takes the lead and the Red Star goalkeeper makes a terrible mistake…#UCL pic .twitter.com/lYDV75aaBE
— Football on TNT Sport (@footballontnt) September 19, 2023
Alvarez canceled out Osman Boukari's opener as Red Star broke the offside trap to take the lead. Calls for Ware to score came from the club's boisterous analysts in the press box, who were told to calm down but could not contain their delight as they took the lead against the European champions.
Despite the goal, there was a feeling that City's time would come, and eventually it did. Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan are gone, but the winning continues. “The show goes on,” Kyle Walker said when he signed his new contract last week. Their incredible run at the Etihad now stands at 27 matches without defeat in the Champions League, with most of them victories.
City's stunning results at home in the Champions League meant the odds were against Red Star. Their last defeat at the Etihad in Europe's premier competition came five years ago when they were defeated by a Lyon side that included Maxwell Cornet and Memphis Depay.
“At the end of the day, after what we did, we are 1-0 down at half-time, which is great. After winning the treble, we need to be champions to prove to ourselves that we can come back.” — said Guardiola.
«In this situation it is nice to prove it, we played both games incredibly, and right at the beginning of the second half. Overall we have something to improve, but this is really very good.»
Guardiola's goalscorers have been doing well lately. Alvarez took Gundogan's position on the field, closing in on Erling Haaland in the No. 10 position and scoring striker-type goals. Many said that he and Haaland would never play together, but they formed an effective partnership.
Julian Alvarez showed an excellent game. for City Credit: Action Images/Jason Cairnduff
Rodri, meanwhile, has become one of the leaders in Guardiola's team after winning the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
“Julian is the same player he was last season. “He won the World Cup with Argentina, but that doesn’t mean you have to play all the time,” Guardiola said. “Last season we had Gundogan in this position and he was in incredible form. He's no longer here and Kevin is injured and we need the players to be there for Erling, so we don't put all the responsibility for scoring goals on Erling's shoulders.
When asked about Rodri, Guardiola added: » He is the best. I hope he improves, he has a good mentality, but he is an outstanding defensive midfielder, we are lucky the club signed him.
“He plays an incredible number of games and is now one of the team captains. In defense, attack, composure, reading space, he is close to the penalty area and very dangerous. He likes to come into the final third.”
Following him is Forest, who Guardiola joked have more European Cups than City. Even without injured players, the show goes on and will likely continue into the weekend.
Line-ups: Manchester City – Red Star
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