Man City crisis deepens with loss to Juventus in Champions League as Barcelona and Arsenal win

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches his players during the match against Juventus in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Wednesday, Dec.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Manchester City plunged deeper into trouble in the Champions League by losing 2-0 at Juventus on Wednesday, the latest setback in a scarcely believable run of poor results for the ailing English champions.

City dropped to 22nd place in the 36-team standings, with only the top 24 advancing. Progressing to the next round of the new-look format looked a certainty before the season for a team that was European champion in 2023 and has won the last four Premier League titles. But not anymore as City manager Pep Guardiola battles injuries and an apparent loss of belief among his players.

City has won just one of its last 10 matches in all competitions, with goals by Dušan Vlahović and Weston McKennie inflicting the latest defeat and igniting Juventus' qualification hopes.

City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan described the team's problem as a “mental issue.”

Opponents “are able to break our rhythm with the smallest of things,” Gundogan said. "They don’t even need to do much and it has such a big effect on us right now.”

Barcelona jumped into second place in the league standings, behind Liverpool, and is guaranteed to advance after a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund. Raphinha and Ferran Torres, with two goals, scored for Barça.

Arsenal beat Monaco 3-0 mainly thanks to two goals by Bukayo Saka to move into third place and be the highest of six teams on 13 points.

The top eight qualify directly for the last 16 and the teams placed No. 9-24 go into a two-legged playoff.

Danger for City

City has two games to save its faltering Champions League campaign and the first is against Paris Saint-Germain, another giant in trouble in 25th place — one spot out of the qualifying positions.

Vlahović put Juventus ahead in the 53rd when he powered a header goalward straight at City goalkeeper Ederson, who could only parry the ball over his own line. Two American substitutes sealed the win for Juve, with McKennie volleying home from Timothy Weah's cross.

Juventus moved into 14th place.

Super-sub Torres

Ferran Torres came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a fifth win in six games and push Dortmund, last season's runner-up, out of the top eight.

Torres came on in the 71st to replace Robert Lewandowski, who had a quiet game against his former club. Just four minutes later, Torres scored a goal on the rebound from Dani Olmo’s shot.

Serhou Guirassy’s second goal of the game leveled the score at 2-2 but Torres scored again in the 85th off Lamine Yamal’s pass on the counter. Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead before Guirassy equalized from the penalty spot. Raphinha and Guirassy are tied for second place in the scoring chart on six goals, behind Lewandowski's competition-high seven.

Home comforts for Arsenal

Arsenal secured a third straight home win without conceding in the league stage, with Saka scoring in the 34th and 78th minutes and sending in a shot that was turned into the net by substitute Kai Havertz in the 88th.

Arsenal is ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, Brest and Lille on goal difference. Lille won 3-2 at home to Sturm Graz on Wednesday.

In-form Alvarez

Man City could sure do with Julian Alvarez at the moment.

With a brilliant curling finish to open the scoring, the Argentina striker helped Atletico Madrid beat Slovan Bratislava 3-1 and provide a timely reminder of what City is missing after selling him for more than $100 million in August. Alvarez has 12 goals for the season, with four coming in the Champions League.

Antoine Griezmann scored Atletico’s other two goals at Metropolitano stadium as the Spanish team climbed to 11th place after a 10th straight win in all competitions.

Tribute to grieving teammate

When Lukasz Lakomy gave Young Boys the lead against Stuttgart, he ran toward the sideline and held up teammate Meschack Elia’s jersey as others gathered around him.

The gesture was a tribute after Elia’s son died unexpectedly this week after a short illness. Elia wasn’t playing as he was on his way to his native Congo, where his son died, to be with his family.

Both teams wore black armbands and there was a moment of silence before the game, which was won 5-1 by Stuttgart.

Late winner

Tammy Abraham scored an 87th-minute winner as AC Milan beat Red Star Belgrade 2-1 to move one point off the top eight. Milan lost Alvaro Morata and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to muscle injuries in the first half.

Benfica’s five-match winning streak ended with a 0-0 home draw against Bologna, and Feyenoord had a 4-2 win over Sparta Prague.