Juventus deal Man City huge Champions League blow

Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie scored to lead Juventus to a 2-0 Champions League win over Manchester City on Wednesday, a major blow to the English champions’ hopes of clinching a top-eight spot in the group stage of Europe’s elite competition.

City, who lifted the 2023 Cham­pions League trophy, continued a poor run of form which has brought only one victory in their last 10 games across all competi­tions.

Vlahovic scored by the narrow­est of margins in the 53rd minute when Kenan Yildiz swung the ball in and City keeper, Ederson, fumbled the Serb’s header from close range and the ball sneaked just across the line, according to the goalline technology.

City picked up the tempo in a desperate attempt to equalise and sent numbers forward, but Juve capitalised to double their lead against the run of play when McKennie hooked Timothy Weah’s cross in with a sumptuous volley in the 75th minute.

Pep Guardiola’s team squan­dered several chances, one of the best falling to Erling Haaland late in first half.

Kevin De Bruyne sent a beauti­ful through ball to the Norwegian who got in behind the defence before trying to chip goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio who threw up his arm to block the shot.

Gundogan unleashed a blister­ing strike from long range that Di Gregorio stretched to just push wide.

With two games remaining in the group phase, Juventus are 14th in the table while City plummet­ed to 22nd, three places out of automatic elimination from the competition.

Since the start of November, City have conceded more goals (21) across all competitions than any other team in Europe’s big five leagues, the worst spell in Guardiola’s otherwise sparkling managerial career.

City, who host Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, continue their Champi­ons League campaign at Paris St Germain on Jan. 22.

Juventus travel to Brugge on Jan. 21.—Reuters