MANCHESTER, England — For 75 minutes on Tuesday night, Manchester City seemed to be in control against Feyenoord, heading into their weekend clash with Liverpool with a much-needed boost after five consecutive defeats. But by the time Pep Guardiola walked down the tunnel at full-time, he had watched his team’s weaknesses ruthlessly exposed by the Dutch side. What should have been a comfortable 3-0 home victory ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw.
It wasn’t a sixth straight defeat, but it certainly felt like one.
Feyenoord scored three times in the final 15 minutes at the Etihad, leaving City with work to do to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League group stage. More pressing, though, is Guardiola’s challenge of taking his side to Anfield this weekend to face Premier League leaders Liverpool, with a squad that looks devoid of confidence. Six games without a win and seven goals conceded in just four days have left City in crisis.
