Manchester City suffered another defeat, this time on the road to Juventus.
It was a game largely dominated by Pep Guardiola’s men, but it was the same old story as far as the result was concerned.
The Premier League champions were caught on the break early in the second half, with Dusan Vlahovic nodding to the ground and over the line to give the Old Lady the lead.
And as City pushed for an equaliser, they were punished again.
This time it was Weston McKennie who produced an acrobatic finish to double the lead.
The defeat leaves City well within reach of the automatic qualification places with two games remaining, meaning they are more likely to make the play-offs.
Read on to discover the full story of the race in Turin.
FULL TIME | Defeat in Turin.
🦓 2-0 🤎 #ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/ROvVglP0LR
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 11, 2024
How did it happen?
The first half ended goalless, with both teams struggling to find clear chances.
Juventus were content to sit back and soak up the pressure, while City dominated possession but lacked creativity in the final third.
Juventus’ best chance of the half came in the 20th minute when Kenan Yildiz cut in from the left and unleashed a shot that narrowly missed the post.
City, on the other hand, went close in the 40th minute when Kevin De Bruyne played a wonderful ball into Erling Haaland, but Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio produced a smart save to deny the Norwegian.
Juventus broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute through Vlahovic.
Kenan Yildiz sent a precise cross to the back post where Vlahovic rose above the City defense to head home.
Ederson got a hand, but the ball went over the line, giving the home side the lead.
FT | ⌛ | 5 star performance at Allianz Stadium! 🌟#JuveManCity #UCL pic.twitter.com/9yuCFbiKRh
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) December 11, 2024
Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan came close to equalizing with long-range efforts, but Juventus’ defense held firm.
Juventus doubled their lead in the 75th minute with a stunning goal from McKenney.
Substitute Timothy Weah curled a cross to the back post after the initial delivery was deflected.
McKennie hit a superb volley into the bottom corner, leaving Ederson with no chance.
Despite bringing on substitutes like Matheus Nunes and Savinho, City couldn’t find a way back into the game.
They had a penalty appeal in the 89th minute when Rico Lewis’ shot hit Gatti, but the referee rejected their claims and VAR confirmed there was no handball.
