The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

Hello and good evening sports fans, I hope you’re well, looking after yourselves and are in good health. In the football it’s one of the biggest conundrums, why Manchester City despite wiping the proverbial floor clean domestically, in Europe how ever club football’s top prize the UEFA Champions League continues to elude them.

After Liverpool drawing 1-1 with Tottenham, that opened a three point gap between The Reds and Manchester City, who ruthlessly demolished in-form Newcastle 5-0, City look all but set to win their fourth Premier League crown in five seasons.

Amazingly The Cityzens appear to be finding different ways to get eliminated from the top table of Europe’s premier club competition. Losses to Lyon, Liverpool and Tottenham showed naivety, but this loss to Real Madrid worryingly showed a lack of cutting edge.

That’s quite something that City, who have been scoring freely in the Premier League, lacked a cutting edge in the semi-final first leg, despite scoring four times. Real Madrid have their premier marksman in Karim Benzema, and the Frenchman now has 40 goals in all competition this year.

Man City have been able to spread their goals, but players like Mahrez, Grealish and Jesus for example are brilliant players, but a strikers instinct can never be understated. Jack Grealish missed some guilt edged chances in the second leg, we can’t help but think if this was a striker with the pedigree of Aguero/Benzema would have at least converted one of those chances.

With many respectable new sources reporting that Manchester City have won the race for Erljng Haaland, then arguably The Blues should be winning next seasons Champions League right? Well, nothing is guaranteed.

In tournament football, the margins for error are smaller. Unfortunately City have been making errors at the wrong times. The usually impenetrable Ruben Diaz was at fault for one of Rodrygo’s goals.

The Portuguese youngster has been superb and has even help John Stones regain his best form. It’s not ideal at all, that Man City have spent over £1 billion on players, but if we’re not mistaken Manchester United won the Champions League title in the 1998/99 season and that was some eight seasons after United first got into tournament under Sir Alex.

The Red half of Manchester too spent a lot of money, but that’s not a narrative often told. What also hasn’t helped is Pep Guardiola being a bit too tactically flexible, yes we’re talking about last seasons final against Chelsea.

Even with the signing of Haaland, Manchester City need to plug the massive hole that will be left when club legend Fernandinho departs Manchester City. That signing might be more important than that of Erling Haaland.

Famous last words, but if City don’t win the Champion League within two seasons, I will eat my hat. Yes it seems so far, but City fans your team is close. Just a little more patience and that patience will reap rewards.

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