Out of all of the teams that played Champions League matches this Wednesday there’s no question that Manchester City looked the best. It’s fair to say that their matchup against FC Copenhagen wasn’t one that we expected to be close at any point. However, they just looked dominant throughout the game. The performance was so incredibly dominant that Pep Guardiola essentially took Erling Haaland out of the game at half-time because he pitied Copenhagen. Haaland had already scored two goals in the match at that point, and was on a clear route to scoring his second hat trick in less than a week!
What’s perhaps even more concerning with Man City (concerning for other teams that is) is that they were still able to find the back of the net twice without Haaland on the pitch. The final score was 5-0. They are set to face off against Dortmund in the group stage which is essentially the only team to give them fits in the last few weeks. That game is potentially going to provide a better reading into what Man City’s chances really are. Another reason though, why they seem to be clear favorites to win it all is because all the rest of the top candidates haven’t looked as dominant so far.
The Balance of Pep’s Team Is What Can Pull Them Through … Of Course Haaland Helps
The fact that someone like Julian Alvarez keeps finding the back of the net is a good sign. That’s not necessarily what we mean by balance though. Pep Guardiola’s teams have always loved to keep possession of the ball and just overrun the other team. When you look at their current squad they still have enough talent particularly in that mid-field to keep possession for long stretches of the game. Gundogan, and Bernarndo Silva kept the team balanced on the inside today. Grealish, and Mahrez had a ton of freedom to just push the ball up the field on the outside today. That style of play can make things complicated for any squad.
Now we get a chance to talk about Haaland. When was the last time that any manager was so bold as to remove his best player from the field at half-time? Yes, the game was pretty much out of reach for the Danish side at that point. Haaland is a player that you have to be careful with not only as a defender or as a manager. He’s been constantly injured in the last few years, and that’s certainly something that Pep’s looking to avoid. If Haaland is in top form by the final stages of the tournament very few teams are going to be able to keep things competitive when facing Man City.
All Of The Other Squads Are Not Looking As Dominant
We saw a couple of teams today that are considered contenders by many. There’s no question that none of them looked as dominant as Man City. Real Madrid started their game against Shaktar in great form. The dynamic duo that Rodrygo, and Vinicus form on both wings is a handful for anyone. As the game advanced though, Shaktar started to feel more comfortable on the pitch, and they were close to tying the game.
The other championship candidate that we saw today was PSG. It was a coming out party for Odysseas Vlachodimos Benfica goalkeeper. He made countless saves in the match to ensure that his squad could pull out the 1-1 draw. What was more concerning for PSG was not necessarily their inability to find the back of the net more than once. Benfica made things real tough on Gianluigi Donaruma with counterattacks, despite a great game from the Italian an own goal tied the game for Benfica. Neither Madrid nor PSG look as scary as Man City.
