Champions League round-up: Manchester City make even Guardiola suffer in Europe

Manchester City alarmingly incompetent as the race for top four heats up

Manchester City have struggled to advance in Europe regardless of their manager. Roberto Mancini was too limited. Manuel Pellegrini was too conservative. For City now, they can’t blame their problems on Pep Guardiola alone, but this is the first time that he has been knocked out of the competition at such an early stages, in his 100th game in charge of a Champions League tie.

In the second half, they made a fight of it, and this after a thrilling first leg when they managed to race into a 5-3 advantage. But their slack defending saw them conceding three goals again, and unable to add more than one of their own.

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AS IT HAPPENED: Monaco 3 Manchester City 1

Everyone knew that Guardiola would need to improve the defence at City just as much as he’d have to improve the goalkeeper, the midfield and attack. He has failed to do so with either transfer window he has overseen. Monaco are young, quick, and they are threatening in attack, but for such a renowned tactician, Guardiola does appear to struggle to get the best out of a squad that lacks his usual world class talent. It’s not just tactics, either. The lethargic first half display is as much of a worry as the incompetence in defence – for Europe, and for the attempt to stay in the top four this season.

Schmeichel remains a leader at Leicester, but for how much longer?

Kasper Schmeichel, apparently, is not 23. He’s actually 30, and has managed to play for nine clubs already. It hasn’t been a glamorous rise to the top of football, having been at pre-fame Manchester City, Falkirk, Notts County and others.

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He had the advantage of being the son of the best goalkeeper that England has ever seen, and his father Peter was unquestionably the best in his position for long stretches during his career. The manner in which he left United somewhat whizzed on his chips: going to Sporting Lisbon to wind down in the sun only to pop up for their neighbours across the road a couple of years later. When Schmeichel leaves Leicester, it is less likely to be so aggravating.

Schmeichel was key to Leicester’s title victory last season, and he showed against Sevilla, with two penalty saves, what a calm presence he can be. That’s when you realise that he has used all his 30 years to gain enough experience to lead from the back. There was a discussion about whether he could cut it at Barcelona or Real Madrid, before acknowledging Liverpool would make a suitable destination. It wouldn’t wind up his current club if he were to make such a move, but it would certainly give his dad one more reason to dig the knife into United.

Leicester City continue to surprise

Leicester’s players are currently getting it in the neck for continuing to overperform in the Champions League. They have gone three games for three victories since Claudio Ranieri departed, somehow proving their untrustworthiness. As pleasant a manager as Ranieri was, it is not as if he was a known world beater, motivator or master tactician beforehand. The stars had aligned for him and his players last season, and we all called it a fluke. That he was unable to keep the players thinking straight into this year is neither a huge surprise, nor a huge slight against him.

The players, too, are only human. They achieved greatness once, and most of them seem capable of giving little more on a regular basis again. Fair enough – most of us rarely produce anything of merit, let alone deliver the most ridiculous league title ever.

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Leicester are now playing as they were last season. They are irritating – see Jamie Vardy v Samir Nasri – but they are meaner in defence and able to score again. Ranieri didn’t do anything inherently wrong in trying to make the team evolve, but Craig Shakespeare appears to have taken the sensible option in giving them the chance to tell us one we know. Football is a simple game that gets terribly complicated, but Leicester seem to have found success by attempting to forget to learn anything new.

Allegri produces an attractively fun-free approach to the second leg

As Leicester City made their way into the Champions League quarter-finals, a few people found it hard to bring it up their success and compare it to Arsenal’s struggles. Arsene Wenger is now famous for taking his team all the way to the last 16, just like Tim Henman was the world number 1 at qualifying for the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. There’s nothing wrong with taking the mickey out of Arsenal – that’s why most of us joined Twitter, after all – but the comparison isn’t the most useful one.

Leicester are freaks this season, able to play brilliantly now, useless for much of the season, thrilling the season before. Juventus, however, are a machine. In their first leg against Porto, they scored their away goals and gave themselves a head start for the home leg.

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At home, all they needed was a Pablo Dybala penalty, at which point the tie was over. They have seen this kind of thing plenty of times before, and aren’t the kind of club to slip up from that position.

Allegri is rumoured to be interested with the Arsenal job, and growing impatient with Arsene Wenger’s reticence to make up his mind. Wenger produces some often beautiful football, but the board and fans must look at Allegri’s calm, measured approach to success and be more than a little envious.

Atletico Madrid grind their way to more success under Simeone

Atletico had little to do after taking a 4-2 lead from the first leg, but there is something appropriate about Diego Simeone being rewarded with a goalless display. This is likely his last season at Atletico before he leaves to go and look menacing somewhere else.

AS IT HAPPENED: Atletico Madrid, Bayern Leverkusen draw

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Against Bayer, Simeone had Jan Oblak’s superb triple-save, and other blocks, to thank for the overall victory. Goalless draws are often held up as dull, but just like Simeone’s Atletico have shown before, a lack of goals doesn’t mean there’s always a lack of entertainment.