- Man City conceded twice late on to lose the first leg of their play-off clash
- Wayne Rooney believes the nature of the collapse will have concerned Guardiola
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is there an agenda against Ange Postecoglou?
Wayne Rooney has claimed Pep Guardiola will be worried by the manner of Manchester City’s late collapse to lose 3-2 to Real Madrid in the first leg of Champions League play-off.
The reigning Premier League champions had led 2-1 in the closing stages at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland scoring his second of the night from the penalty spot after Kylian Mbappe had levelled for the visitors.
Man City’s good work unravelled late on as Brahim Diaz levelled in the 86th minute, before Jude Bellingham grabbed a stoppage time winner for the defending European champions.
The result leaves Man City with an uphill battle to remain in the Champions League, with Guardiola’s side needing to turn the tie around in Madrid next week.
Rooney, who was making his debut for Amazon Prime as a pundit, believes Guardiola will be most worried by Man City players appearing to lack faith in their team-mates as they try to manage matches.
‘There was a lot of naivety on Manchester City’s part, especially at the end of the game,’ Rooney said.
Man City collapsed in the closing stages against Real Madrid to lose 3-2 in the playoff first leg
Wayne Rooney believes Guardiola will be concerned by the manner of Man City’s late collapse
Rooney claimed Guardiola will be worried by his City players lacking belief in each other
‘Tonight, the players were looking at each other, almost not believing in each other, and I think that’s something that worries Guardiola.
‘When you’re winning 2-1 against Real Madrid and you have a game ahead at the Bernabeu, you have to say “let’s be sensible”, let them have the ball in their half, reset.’
Man City’s capitulation against Real Madrid continued a worrying theme this season having previously failed to hold onto leads in the competition to Feyenoord and PSG in the league phase.
Man City have also collapsed in the closing stages of Premier League matches, including passing up a 2-0 lead against Brentford last month to draw.
They also conceded twice late on to lose the Manchester derby 2-1 in December.
Guardiola admitted post match that his side have given up leads ‘too many times’ this season.
‘Today was tight and in certain times we had chances,’ Guardiola said. ‘Many games at the end we give away. In that level it is so difficult. It is not the first time, it happens many times.
‘There are mistakes in similar areas. It is difficult to manage but yeah, it happens many times.
Guardiola admitted post-match that his Man City side given up leads ‘too many times’
John Stones claimed Man City need to ‘see out games better’ and have more accountability
‘Players take decisions in the moment, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We arrived in the last minute with the result but we could not keep it.
‘It belongs to all of us, not just the players. I have not a problem to accept that it doesn’t work like it worked in the past. It is all of us.
‘They want it, how they run and how they do it but the truth is that we are not stable enough in the moments.’
His comments were echoed by John Stones, with the defender acknowledging they need to ‘see games out better’ and called for greater accountability in the Man City squad.
