Pep Guardiola’s reaction to Ederson’s skill during Man City 3-1 Red Star had commentators laughing

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·20 September 2023

Pep Guardiola’s reaction to Ederson’s skill during Man City 3-1 Red Star had commentators laughing

Highlights

Ederson, Manchester City's goalkeeper, is not only an excellent shot-stopper but is also incredibly skilled with his feet, even claiming he could play in midfield if needed.
Ederson's confidence in his skill with the ball at his feet sometimes leads him to take risks, leaving fans and Guardiola on the edge of their seats.
In a recent Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade, Ederson's decision to perform a Cruyff turn outside area paid off, but it easily could have resulted in a goal for the opposing team. Guardiola's reaction to this risky move was caught on camera and left commentators laughing.

Manchester City’s Ederson is the dictionary definition of a top-class modern goalkeeper. Aside from being an excellent shot-stopper, the Brazil international is also incredibly gifted with his feet.

Indeed, Ederson once boasted early in his Man City career that he could play in midfield if Pep Guardiola ever asked him, having previously been deployed as an outfield player while representing Benfica’s youth team. Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2018, Ederson said: “When I played in the Benfica youth teams, they would always call me to play in midfield if someone was missing and I didn’t ever embarrass myself. So, if necessary I’m definitely up to the task. It wouldn’t be easy, especially in the Premier League, but I think I could manage the challenge.”

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Since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2017, Ederson has always been remarkably composed with the ball at his feet. That said, there have been times when the 30-year-old has left City fans - and Guardiola himself - with their hearts in their mouths due to his penchant for taking risks.

What did Ederson do against Red Star Belgrade?

On that note, there was an amusing incident early in the second half of Man City’s Champions League clash against Crvena Zvezda (the Serbian club commonly referred to as Red Star Belgrade) on Tuesday night. Ederson came charging out of his box to sweep up as Red Star attacked - but rather than booting the ball into Row Z, the flamboyant South American instead opted to produce an eye-catching piece of skill.

It should be noted that the game was delicately poised at 1-1 at the time. Red Star had taken a shock 1-0 lead on the stroke of half-time through Osman Bukari, but the lively Julian Alvarez equalised for the reigning European champions shortly after the restart.

Ederson gambled by producing a Cruyff turn, 35 yards from his goal-line, but his decision (just about) paid off. The Brazilian’s skill caught Bukari by surprise and the ball remained in Man City’s possession. However, he could quite easily have been dispossessed, and Red Star may have scored their second goal of the night as a result.

Video: Pep's reaction to Ederson's skill makes commentators laugh

TNT Sport co-commentator Ally McCoist said: “He’s taking a chance there. I would actually love to know what Guardiola *really* thinks of that.” Right on cue, Guardiola’s reaction was then played on the live TV broadcast - and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

“That’s what he thinks,” TNT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher said. “Question answered, Ally!” The pair of them couldn’t help but laugh because Pep’s face was an absolute picture. You don’t need to be a mind reader to imagine what was going through the revered Catalan coach’s head. Watch the funny video below:

Man City went on to win their Group G opener 3-1, with Alvarez scoring his second goal of the night on the hour-mark before Rodri guaranteed the three points with an excellent goal in the 73rd minute. Guardiola’s side are the favourites once again heading into this season’s Champions League campaign but know they’ll need to be at their very best in order to retain their European crown.