Guardiola’s emphasis on pace backfires as supply chain breaks and defence buckles

Erling Haaland’s overall numbers for the season remain impressive, with 29 goals from 40 games, but only four have come in his last 14 outings. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock

Pep Guardiola’s wry and serial observation is that only victory makes the head coach appear a sage of the tactical battle. If defeat is endured then, fair or not, it is open season on the man who lives and dies by results.

Cut to Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League last-16 hammering of Manchester City by Real Madrid and Álvaro Arbeloa emanated a seer-like cool in the post-first leg briefings, while Guardiola was forced into explaining why he sent out a 4-2-2-2 that crumpled so easily before Federico Valverde, who scored a memorable first-half, 22-minute hat-trick.