Pep Guardiola is facing more pressure than ever before at Manchester City – but it’s clear he has Erling Haaland’s unwavering support.. This season has been the most turbulent for City in recent memory, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League with just 12 wins from 24 games. Those struggles have spilled over into the Champions League, barely making the knockout stages after finishing 22nd in the new league phase after eight games.. Things went from bad to worse for City on Tuesday evening as they suffered a 3-2 defeat in the first leg of their tie with Real Madrid at the Etihad. They will now need to fight back from behind at the Bernabeu next Wednesday if they hope to progress to the round of 16.. However, star striker Haaland showed his faith in City’s coach of nine years back in December, with a simple on-pitch gesture and respectful words directed towards the 54-year-old. City travelled to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City as 2024 neared its end, securing a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Savinho and Haaland.. After the victory, the latter walked over to his manager and pushed him towards the travelling fans who were chanting his name. A smile broke out on Guardiola’s face, who had just clinched his first away win in six matches after defeats to Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton, and Bournemouth, along with a draw against Crystal Palace.. In the same month, Haaland expressed his confidence in his manager, saying: “He will find the solutions.” He added: “He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now.”. It’s been a testing season for Pep Guardiola (Image: Getty Images). Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this season.. Since taking over at City in 2016, Guardiola has amassed an impressive haul of trophies including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, three Community Shields, and a Champions League, even achieving a treble in the 2022/23 season. Yet, the 2024/25 campaign has seen far from this level of triumph, highlighted by their last league game ending in a 5-1 hammering by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.. Now, the cup competitions stand as Guardiola’s only realistic shot at silverware, which makes the defeat to Real sting even more. Haaland netted the opener with a precise volley inside the box after a perfect lob from Jack Grealish was chested down by Josko Gvardiol. While City seemed to dominate the first half, the second half presented a stark contrast.. Kylian Mbappe equalised on the hour mark, darting behind the defence before deftly placing the ball into the far right corner of the goal, catching Ederson off guard. With just 10 minutes remaining, Haaland put City back in the lead by confidently converting a penalty after Phil Foden was fouled in the box by Dani Ceballos.. However, Real Madrid managed to level the score again in the 86th minute, with Brahim Diaz capitalising on a parried shot from Vinicius Jr that Ederson should have dealt with more effectively. The worst-case scenario for City then unfolded as Vinicius Jr beat Rico Lewis to the punch down the left flank before lofting the ball to Jude Bellingham in the centre of the box, who nudged it home, securing victory for Real in the second minute of three added on.. City now face the daunting task of travelling to the Bernabeu next Wednesday to overturn a one-goal deficit if they hope to meet either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 of the tournament. It appears things may deteriorate further before they improve for Guardiola – but he can take solace in the unwavering support of his players.
