Manchester City's Away Trap Ends

VILLARREAL, WEDNESDAY — It took more than a year for Manchester City to bring home another victory from an away Champions League match. Leading 2-0 against Villarreal on Wednesday (22/10/2025 WIB) at the Estadio de la Cerámica, it marked the first three points for "The Citizens" outside Manchester since October 1, 2024.

City's performance, which has always been dominant both at home and away, makes the winless statistics feel odd. However, that is the reality. The last time City won an away match in Europe was when they defeated Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the National Stadium of Slovakia in Bratislava last year.

In more than a year, City experienced four consecutive defeats in away matches of the Champions League. This winless streak began with a loss to Sporting Lisbon (1-4), followed by defeats to Juventus (0-2), Paris Saint-Germain (2-4), and Real Madrid (1-3). On the second matchday of the 2025-2026 Champions League, The Citizens were held to a 2-2 draw by AS Monaco.

However, the city of Villarreal, which is home to around 50,000 residents, provides tranquility and fortune for City. From the beginning of the match, they appeared more composed and dominant.

As a result, City scored two goals in the first half through shots from Erling Haaland (17') and Bernardo Silva (40').

The three-point record helped City continue their winning trend in the last three games. Haaland and his teammates have also remained unbeaten in nine consecutive matches. City's performance has improved since entering the month of November.

"I feel like we're starting to get back to our real form," said City manager Pep Guardiola after the match.

Guardiola stated that his team played a match that met expectations in Villarreal. Although they showcased a dominant performance with 66 percent ball possession, Guardiola reminded that the Estadio de la Ceramica is not inherently a friendly venue for visiting teams.

"It's a tough place. Villarreal are also recognized in Spain as a top team," said Guardiola.

"We played well to control the match, although towards the end they had one or two chances. Overall, we played fantastically. This is a good step in this competition," he added.

A positive start is essential for City to rebuild the shattered mental state resulting from last season's poor performance. They are currently sitting in 22nd place in the early phase of the Champions League.

The path to the knockout stage was through the playoffs. However, their ambitions of going far in the Champions League were halted in the playoffs by Real Madrid.

The victory over Villarreal boosted City's position into the top eight, securing a direct ticket to the knockout stage. The collection of seven points from three matches indicates an early signal that The Citizens are on the right track.

The next away match for City in the Champions League will be against Real Madrid and Bodo/Glimt. However, they will also host three dark horses at home, namely Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and Galatasaray.

The three points for Villarreal were obtained through a balanced performance from City's offensive and defensive players in both halves. The attacking players were clinical in the first half of the match.

Haaland, for instance, continues his productivity by scoring his 53rd goal in the Champions League. This season, he has already scored 24 goals for City and the Norwegian national team.

The positive record against the Spanish team was continued by the blonde striker. Haaland scored nine goals in nine matches against Spanish teams with City in the most prestigious club competition in Europe.

After the drinks were served, the spotlight shifted to the players in the backline. Two saves were made by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which left the players of "The Yellow Submarine," a nickname for Villarreal, frustrated.

Villarreal coach Marcelino stated on the UEFA website that his team's first-half performance was far from their best. He continued that the game control exerted by City caused the Villarreal players to play with a great deal of uncertainty.

"I am proud of our reaction in the second half. We played more reactively and created goal-scoring opportunities, then provided more bursts of energy, resulting in a very spirited performance. However, we should have been more dangerous against a big team," said Marcelino.

Unlike City, which is beginning to rise into the knockout phase, the Yellow Submarine is still struggling to improve its ranking. The defeat to City has left them stranded in 29th place out of 36 participants.

Villarreal has only collected one point, which was earned after holding Juventus to a 2-2 draw last month. The next five matches also present potential traps for the Yellow Submarine. They still have two home games remaining against Copenhagen and Ajax Amsterdam. In addition, they will play away at Pafos, Dortmund, and Leverkusen. (AFP)