Tijjani Reijnders: Man City player’s dire stats vs Real Madrid explain Pep Guardiola downfall
Serious questions need to be asked about Tijjani Reijnders after his dire performance in Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side went into the match with little hope of progressing into the Champions League quarter-finals after their 3-0 loss in the first leg.
However, any chances of an Eithad comeback were quickly dashed after Bernando Silva was given his marching orders midway through the first half as he gave away a penalty.
While the midfielder had a rotten game and was rightly lambasted for his stupid decision, Reijnders’ performance should also raise serious questions, as he ghosted once again in Man City’s terrible defeat.
Tijjani Reijnders continues to struggle for Man City
Reijnders was brought into Man City in the summer with the hope that he would become the next big star at the club.
Guardiola had just lost Kevin De Bruyne and needed someone to fill the vacancy in attacking midfield.
In recent weeks, Reijnders has been given the opportunity to stake a claim to this position. However, against Real Madrid, his lack of creativity was on full show.
| Tijjani Reijnders stats vs Real Madrid | |
| Minutes | 45 |
| Passing completion | 97% |
| Shots | 0 |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Dribbles completed | 0 |
| Crosses completed | 25% |
According to Fotmob on 18 March, the 27-year-old only created one chance, failed to get a shot away, did not complete a single dribble and only saw 25 per cent of his crosses reach a teammate.
It was a disastrous display, and it was no surprise that he was hooked at half-time.
However, this has only served to explain how Guardiola’s side have fallen off in recent years.
With many of Man City’s top stars leaving in recent years, Guardiola has been unable to replace them with real quality, with Reijnders having nowhere near the ability of De Bruyne.
However, it remains to be seen if this is a problem the manager can fix, with the Citizens in serious danger of not winning a trophy this season.
Will Pep Guardiola be at Man City next season?
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 15 March that Man City want Guardiola to stay despite their Champions League failures.
The manager is still contracted until 2027; however, their recent form has cast doubts on his long-term future.
With the club now out of the Champions League and looking unlikely to win the Premier League, speculation has only increased in recent weeks.
However, the recent set of results are unlikely to have an immediate influence on Guardiola’s future.