Before Man City’s victory in the 2022/23 Champions League, Pep Guardiola last won the Champions League in 2011.
During this match, Barcelona defeated Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
However, the 52-year-old coach made history on 10th June 2023, when the team won against Inter Milan.
Football fans know it was the day Man City won the historic treble.
While this is a great victory, the team’s hard work and resilience made such a feat possible.
The last final was starved of obvious scoring opportunities.
Inter’s 5-3-2 formation caused problems for Guardiola’s City, who hardly found their footing.
The strain on City only increased as Kevin de Bruyne went down with an injury after a scoreless first half.
At some point, the match seemed hopeless for Man City, who had a history of losing the Championship at the finals.
But they didn’t lose.
Man City finally chased and secured the Championship title.
This could be due to their intense club revamp since the Abu Dhabi-led acquisition of 2008.
The club has pulled itself up, examining the finals they’ve lost and how to avoid making the same mistakes in the 2023/24 UCL.
It has invigorated fans and below are four ace cards that could help Manchester City secure their next Champions League title.
The Pep element
How many coaches would bench their top two fullbacks in the midst of the season and modify their defence to ensure they scarcely missed them?
That’s precisely what Guardiola did with Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo.
This shows that Guardiola doesn’t tolerate complacency from any of his players.
The stern coach keeps his players on their toes. He has improved the team’s defence and has transformed Jack Grealish, among many other remarkable players, into a savvy and selfless player.
This kind of doggedness can help them defend their Champions League title.
The Haaland factor
Haaland is a fear factor for any opposing squad facing City.
Erling Haaland broke every scoring record in the UEFA Champions League with his 35 goals in only 32 games played.
While some players may buckle under the weight of Champions League expectations, Haaland thrives in such an environment.
He scored 33 goals in the 38 games he played in.
His prowess during the season matched Mohammed Salah’s records.
If there’s anything to expect from Haaland, it’s showmanship and goals.
However, Pep Guardiola has said scoring goals was never an issue for the club, but conceding late goals is a weakness they’re working on steadfastly.
Jack Grealish’s form
Last year, Grealish was mostly a substitute for the Champions League team, and he didn’t even start any of the elimination games.
His scuffle in the tunnel with Stefan Savic of Atletico Madrid and his failure to capitalise on a golden opportunity to beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu is carved into most viewers’ and fans’ memories.
Now in his third season with the club, he has settled in and is arguably emerging as perhaps the club’s third-best player after Haaland and De Bruyne.
Pep Guardiola has shaped Grealish into the ideal player and, perhaps, a Ballon D’or contender.
He works tirelessly defensively, as his gasping dash back to thwart Mohamed Salah has shown and does what Guardiola wants offensively.
The attack dog role no longer suits him since he is now a key cog in Guardiola’s championship engine.
Real Madrid: The real competition
Retrospectively, Real Madrid has performed in the UCL semi-finals a total of 16 times.
In comparison, Man City has played in the UCL semi-finals on two occasions, so it doesn’t take a soothsayer to tell City to anticipate Real at the 2023/24 UCL semi-finals.
If City can get past Ancelotti’s squad in the semi-finals, they could end up facing a subpar club in terms of quality and experience at the finals.
That’s not to assume City would easily defeat Real; however, they’ve proven themselves to be formidable.
Guardiola’s team learned the hard way the last two seasons that the 14-time European winners should never be written out, even when the odds are stacked against them.
However, Real are not without their flaws, and a fragile Chelsea still managed to create scoring chances against them even though they failed to capitalise on these chances.
What are the chances?
With all these components coming together around Manchester City, there is already a lot of excitement for the 2023/2024 Champions League.
Current odds at BetMGM UK have Manchester City at a 2/1 stake to win the League again, so it seems there is a lot of trust behind the success of the team, and the exhilarating gameplay that lies ahead.
Final thoughts
These are a few key factors generated through a panoramic view of the UEFA Champions League.
However, there are several other hidden cards that might help Manchester City secure their second UCL title.
What do you think?
Featured Image by jorono from Pixabay
