Six reasons why Manchester City is finally on the verge of European glory

It's not the first time it's been mentioned, but it appears like Manchester City's stars are aligning in the Champions League. After defeating RB Leipzig with seven goals in the previous round, they out-thought and out-classed Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-finals last week. They carry a 3-0 advantage into Wednesday's second leg at the Allianz Arena and will go to Munich with a team that has been replenished and rested after hardly breaking pace to beat Leicester City.

City supporters don't need to be reminded of their great failures in Europe's premier championships. Their heartbreaking departures from Monaco in 2017, Tottenham in 2019, and Real Madrid last season have stayed with them.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola was strongly chastised for his dubious methods in the stunning defeat by Lyon in 2020 and the loss to Chelsea in the 2021 final.

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However, the Catalan coach is currently on a roll, having revamped his defense and transformed Jack Grealish into a selfless and clever player. And he has a superhuman striker leading the charge in Erling Haaland, who is smashing every goalscoring record conceivable.

Haaland's desire to score Champions League goals

Any squad that plays against City will have nightmares about what Haaland may do to them. He has six goals in his past two Champions League games. He scored a joint-record five goals against RB Leipzig and would have likely scored six or seven more had Guardiola not taken him off with half an hour remaining.

Haaland's desire to score Champions League goals

And he demonstrated that he is more than just a flat-track bully by scoring and assisting against Bayern, one of the finest teams in the world. He is in a frenzy at the most crucial time of the season, having scored 14 goals in his past six outings and already matching Mohamed Salah's record of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season.

Guardiola is in his element

How many other managers could remove their two first-choice full-backs in the midst of the season and reconfigure their defense so that their absence was scarcely noticed? Guardiola has done the same with Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker.

Cancelo had been one of City's most significant players in the previous two seasons, but the coach abruptly decided that center-back Nathan Ake would be a better fit at left-back owing to his defensive skills. Guardiola loaned Cancelo to Bayern Munich after he complained about being left out.

Guardiola is in his element

He also concluded that Walker was unsuitable for the new defensive structure of three defenders and two holding midfielders, openly claiming that the England star "cannot do it." It was a stark reminder that Guardiola never allows his players to become complacent, no matter who they are.

He's also openly questioned Kevin De Bruyne's form and encouraged Haaland to become more involved in the team's play, all while keeping the Norwegian pleased despite pulling him off early in games. And he hasn't been afraid to criticize the entire squad, as seen by his weird "happy flowers" outburst after beating Tottenham 4-2 in January.

Some felt Guardiola was losing his mind with that rant, but he was only establishing his control over the team. City has won 14 of the 17 matches since then. They have won 10 straight games in all competitions and are pursuing Arsenal in the Premier League championship battle. Guardiola reminded his players last week that "if we lose, it's over" and is doing an excellent job of keeping them alert. That tenacity may eventually lead to a Champions League victory.

Ruben Dias is back to his best

Haaland may have grabbed the headlines once more in City's triumph over Bayern, but the victory belonged to the defending. They only allowed Thomas Tuchel's side one shot in the first half, and while the visitors did test Ederson after the break, it was primarily from long range, which the Brazilian easily stopped.

Dias was a colossal defensive wall, blocking everything Bayern threw at him, while Manuel Akanji and Ake were also brilliant. John Stones was also outstanding, rotating between a double pivot with Rodri in midfield and covering at right back.

Ruben Dias is back to his best

However, the backline has been superb not only against Bayern. City has the greatest defensive record in the Champions League, surrendering only three goals in nine games, and they have maintained clean sheets in six of their past ten games overall.

Late defensive lapses have cost them dearly in the past, such as in both legs against Real Madrid in 2022. But they appear so strong today, with their defensive structure constructed particularly to give them better control in the back.

De Bruyne is back in form

Guardiola looks to have a tumultuous connection with the Belgian. He has certainly been the finest player under the Catalan's rule, and the most brilliant footballer with whom the coach has worked since Lionel Messi. De Bruyne became the Premier League's fastest player to 100 assists earlier this month.

De Bruyne became the Premier League's fastest player to 100 assists earlier this month

Despite this, Guardiola frequently appears dissatisfied with him, calling him out on several occasions this season. Whatever is going on, the tense relationship between coach and player appears to be bringing out the best in the playmaker, who has nine goals and 22 assists this season. He has returned with fury after a rather quiet start to the new year by his usual lofty standards, which saw him pulled out of the starting lineup for the defeat against Tottenham.

He had a goal and an assist in the win over Arsenal in February, and he is in excellent form right now. De Bruyne has six assists and two goals in his previous six games for City, including impressive efforts against Leipzig and Liverpool. With dashes down both flanks and across the middle, he has been fueling Haaland's goal glut and slicing opponents open. He is an opponent's nightmare and a teammate's dream, making him a valuable asset in these crucial Champions League matches.

Jack Grealish 2.0

Grealish had just a minor role in the Champions League last season, starting none of the knockout games. Indeed, his performance was remembered mostly for his altercation with Atletico Madrid's Stefan Savic in the tunnel and for wasting a golden chance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. But he has found his feet in his second season with City, and one might argue that he has been their second-best player after Haaland throughout the season.

Grealish has evolved into the ideal Guardiola's player

It's taken some time, but Grealish has evolved into the ideal Guardiola player, battling tirelessly in defense - see his lung-bursting dash back to block Mohamed Salah - and doing precisely what Guardiola wants in the attack. He is no longer an attack dog; instead, he is one of the masterminds behind Guardiola's winning machine.

Real Madrid their only real competitors

When City were matched with Bayern in the quarter-finals, they felt they had had one of the toughest draws possible, but they were no match for the Bavarians, who had fired Julian Nagelsmann less than three weeks before the first leg.

If they defeat Bayern in the second leg, Real Madrid will be the only team standing between them and their long-awaited first Champions League title. If City defeats Carlo Ancelotti's side in the semi-finals, they will face a team with less talent and experience at the highest level, whether it be Inter, Benfica, or AC Milan.

Real Madrid will be the only team standing between them and their first Champions League title

That is not to argue that City will defeat Real Madrid, who are a very tough opponent. As Guardiola's team discovered last year, you can never rule out the 14-time European winners, even when everything appears to go against them.

But Real has flaws, and even a disheveled Chelsea managed to generate opportunities against them, even if they were missed. Madrid has also had an up-and-down domestic season, trailing Barcelona by 11 points in La Liga. And, significantly, City would host the second leg, robbing Real of the home advantage that was key to their three comebacks on their path to winning the championship last year.

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