Manchester City’s date with destiny: Pep Guardiola can’t ‘overthink’ the UCL final
In the buildup to the 2021 UEFA Champions League, Manchester City were considered the favourites to land their first-ever title. It made sense at the time. They were almost flawless all season, winning the Carabao Cup and the Premier League title in style. They also outclassed PSG in the semi-final.
In contrast, Chelsea had a bad season until the appointment of Thomas Tuchel revived them to sweep away Real Madrid in the run-up to the final. Yet, many considered the West London side no match for scary Manchester City. Eventually, Chelsea did the unthinkable to clinch their second-ever UCL title against City.
Some football fans quickly made the case that Guardiola lost the match because he ‘overthought’ his tactics against Chelsea. However true that is, City fans will be hoping not to relive that day when they go to Istanbul in June. Moreover, you can opt for one of the top UK casinos if you fear betting on an ‘overthinking’ manager.
Guardiola and ‘overthinking’ tactics
Guardiola has built a scary squad since he switched from Bayern Munich to Manchester City in 2016. After a slow start in his first season, he took off in his second and has not looked back ever since. Little wonder his team has only lost the league twice in seven years as City’s manager.
Yet, the UCL title has evaded Guardiola’s incredibly successful City side. The club has faltered several times under the Spanish when it mattered the most. The successive failures have attracted criticisms that he ‘overthinks’ tactics for the biggest matches.
The naivety, chaos, and questionable decisions against Monaco, Liverpool, and Tottenham (Kevin De Bruyne curiously left on the bench) in the UCL are fresh in the memory.
When Guardiola’s team set up a UCL final with a resurgent Chelsea side in 2021, most pundits and fans unsurprisingly tipped Manchester City to prevail. However, their predictions were foiled after a spirited Chelsea performance.
City fans feared the worst after Guardiola named no defensive midfielder in his starting lineup. Their worst fears were confirmed after the relentless Ngolo Kante started easily overrunning City’s midfield. Guardiola’s gamble ended up hurting Manchester City, leading to excuses that he ‘overthought’ his tactics.
Inter Milan’s threat
Guardiola will be one of the first to shut down any suggestions that the UCL title is wrapped up. He has been here before, and he knows the stakes are high. While the ex-Barcelona manager has only lost one UCL final, the competition’s history of producing upset winners will not be lost on him.
For example, in the 2005 UCL final, Liverpool were considered the underdogs in the battle against the mighty AC Milan side. Those who predicted a Milan victory thought they were right at halftime, as the Italian club was three goals up.
But the unthinkable happened; an incredible Liverpool comeback to level the score. The Merseysiders eventually snatched an upset victory through a penalty shootout win. There was a similar situation in the 2012 final as Bayern Munich were heavily tipped to get the better of Chelsea. Still, the unexpected happened, and Chelsea claimed a famous win in Munich via penalties.
Therefore, Inter Milan cannot be written off. Regardless of the club’s perceived easy run to the final, the players have worked hard for it all season, beating a Barcelona side that won the La Liga title in style. Also, Inter are in the Coppa Italia final with a chance for a double.
The club’s many spirited performances this season and tendency to hurt a possession-based side like City on the counter makes them a viable threat that must be taken seriously.
It is Manchester City’s to lose
After all is said and done, Manchester are the heavy favourites to land the biggest club trophy in Europe. Frankly, Inter have enjoyed a much easier run to the UCL final. They beat Porto in the round of 16, Benfica in the quarterfinal, and AC Milan in the semifinal. With all due respect to these sides, they posed relatively weak challenges.
In contrast, Manchester City went through a much tougher run to book a place in Istanbul. They humiliated RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid on their way to the final. Obviously, City are in the driving seat heading into the UCL final, and the title is theirs to lose.
Surely, Guardiola cannot afford to ‘overthink’ it this time. As the popular saying goes, “once bitten, twice shy.” The ‘overthinking’ excuses will not work this time. At the end of the night of June 10, 2023, City fans will want to celebrate their first-ever UCL title, and Guardiola cannot fail them.