Manchester City may have to take the long way home in the Champions League | OneFootball

Following their 3-all draw with Feyenoord on Tuesday night, Manchester City is precariously placed in the UEFA Champions League league phase table. After 5 games Pep Guardiola’s side sits 17th. They sit 2 points behind AS Monaco in the battle for a top 8 finish in the standings. Based on the heavy workload the world champions are faced with they will want to secure a top 8 finish in their final three league phase fixtures. But that will be no easy task when you look at Manchester City’s remaining fixtures.

Manchester City will face Juventus, PSG and Club Brugge in their final three Champions League league phase fixtures. Their away fixtures against Juventus and PSG will be crucial to Manchester City’s chances of finishing in the top 8 of the Champions League league phase. They will be tricky fixtures given the pedigree and talent their opponents have. Based on City’s performance against Feyenoord on Tuesday evening at the Etihad, their home game against Club Brugge is no formality either at this stage.

But it’s the cost of missing a top 8 finish that could harm Pep Guardiola’s squad. If they finish outside the top 8 but no lower than 24th, they will face a knockout out tie to book their place in the next round of the tournament. That would see them face two extra fixtures in February. The world champions already face a crowded schedule in February. They will also face Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham in the Premier League. Those are all massive fixtures. There is also the possibility of Pep Guardiola’s squad having a fourth-round FA Cup tie added to their schedule. With injuries and fatigue already having a detrimental effect on Pep Guardiola’s side, they will not want to face two extra fixtures in February.

READ MORE: Manchester City look mentally fragile and that is a huge concern.

We have seen already this season what a heavy workload has done to Pep Guardiola’s squad. The world champions have been decimated by injury already. Then there is the fact that fatigue is affecting City’s fit players. They will not want to add two more fixtures to their packed schedule. So they will almost need to win their three final Champions League phase fixtures to guarantee a top 8 finish. That will be no easy task based on who Manchester City have left remaining on their Champions League schedule. The fact that Pep Guardiola’s side is currently on a run of 6 games without a win further complicates the task at hand.

Manchester City almost need to guarantee themselves a place in the top 24 of the Champions League league phase. They would also want to secure a spot in the top 8 to avoid an even busier schedule. That would also give Pep Guardiola’s side an easier route to this year’s Champions League final. This year’s showpiece will be played at the Fußball Arena München in Munich. A helpful guide to buying Champions League Final Tickets can be found at the link provided. The hope is that Manchester City can secure themselves a top 8 finish in the Champions League league phase to firstly avoid extra fixtures in February and make their potential path to Munich a lot more direct.