Manchester City were cruising at 3-0. Their bad run of form was seemingly in the rearview mirror.
Then the wheels came off. Feyenoord roared back with three goals in 15 minutes to earn a scarcely believable 3-3 away draw in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Josko Gvardiol – who endured an error-strewn performance in Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur – lofted a woeful backward pass that landed nowhere near its intended target Manuel Akanji. Anis Hadj Moussa collected the ball in the 18-yard box and slotted past Ederson to give Feyenoord a strand of hope.
A meager amount of hope soon bloomed into genuine belief. Gvardiol was again at fault when he passed to a crowded-out James McAtee, who was robbed of possession, and the move culminated with Santiago Gimenez bundling the ball over the line from barely a yard in the 82nd minute.
Feyenoord scored the equalizer when Igor Paixao beat the onrushing Ederson to the ball and lifted a cross for David Hancko to head home in the 89th minute. Hancko led the celebrations in front of the traveling Dutch supporters.
75 – Manchester City are the first team in UEFA Champions League history to be leading a match by three goals as late as the 75th minute and fail to go on to win. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/QFkxrMUEbN
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 26, 2024
Erling Haaland converted a penalty and scored from close range either side of Ilkay Gundogan‘s deflected strike, giving City what appeared to be a commanding 3-0 lead.
Although the home side ultimately ended its five-game losing streak – the worst run of Guardiola’s managerial career – the errors and visible stress that led to the collapse in the 3-3 draw will do nothing to allay fears that City are in full crisis mode.
“At 3-1 they pushed on and we invited more pressure. We have to stay mentally stronger,” defender Nathan Ake told Amazon’s broadcast, according to The Guardian’s John Brewin. “I think we did give it away. It feels like a defeat. It’s a tough night.”
Manchester City have conceded two or more goals in six straight matches across all competitions for the first time since 1963. They were relegated that season.
Relegation is extremely unlikely (barring a points deduction relating to City’s Premier League charges), but things could get uglier very soon. Premier League leaders Liverpool, who are eight points above Manchester City, host Guardiola’s men at Anfield on Sunday.
