Pep Guardiola had his head in his hands. Not for the first time in the Champions League, admittedly. But at a rather earlier stage than usual. Indeed, it felt like an overreaction, given that Manchester City were 3-1 ahead at the time. His histrionics may been premature but they came to look like a premonition. Josko Gvardiol’s hideous blunder proved the start of a Feyenoord comeback: 3-1 became 3-3. Two weeks ago, City dropped two points.
They now find themselves needing to win in Turin. Almost certainly, only a run of three victories will suffice for City if they are to salvage a top-eight finish in the Champions League group stage. A team who seem fatigued, overworked and plagued by injury could stumble their way into a greater workload, with the prospect of a two-legged play-off in February, the second match a few days before City host Liverpool.
