One step forward in Cup but City take two back again

ARE you watching, Real Madrid? Hopefully not from a Manchester City perspective because terrestrial television yesterday lunchtime showed the Premier League champions struggle badly against a team from the third division.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

A 2-1 comeback win puts them in the hat for the next round, but nobody will fear playing them - least of all the kings of the Champions League.

City fans have seen it all yet these are chastening times for Pep Guardiola and his serial winners, whose descent from the heights they hit has been rough and shows no sign of stopping. Nobody had Leyton Orient fans singing that Guardiola would be sacked on their Blues bingo card at the start of the season, and certainly not in the context of them being far from the first fanbase to air it.

Welcome to 2024/25 City though, where one step forward is usually accompanied by at least two back. They eventually got the job done, but the pattern of setbacks continued.