Manchester City ‘beaten at Bodo’ – is this more than just a misstep?

A series of injuries damaged City’s challenge on all fronts last season, and there is a similar feeling this time around.

Guardiola was forced to make the trip to Norway without eight injured players, in addition to new signing Antoine Simeño, who is not eligible to play in the group stage of the Champions League, and suspended captain Bernardo Silva.

It meant Guardiola had to field Manchester City’s youngest starting XI in the Champions League, with four players aged 21 or under playing in the match.

Centre-back Max Allen, who was recalled from Watford’s Championship side to help with their injury crisis, stepped up to the biggest stage but struggled on his Champions League debut and was responsible for the first two goals.

After ending 2025 with eight straight wins, City have made a miserable start to 2026, winning just two of their seven matches and suffering back-to-back losses, having suffered a disappointing defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.

“We have to come back,” Guardiola said. “Results since then [the end of] 2025 was not good at the level of the Premier League and today.

“Now we have to move on with Wolverhampton and Galatasaray. Today was a great opportunity for us but the feeling is [everything is] Going wrong.

“You have to try to change that and the players who are there will try to do that.”

The biggest concern will also be the form of star striker Erling Haaland, who had a forgettable trip to his homeland. He has now gone a month without scoring from open play with just one penalty kick showing in his past eight matches.

On Saturday, Guardiola called for FIFA and UEFA to give players at least 72 hours of rest between matches, but the Spaniard decided to play Haaland for the full 90 minutes against Bodo/Glimt, giving Egyptian Omar Marmoush – who has just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations – just 20 minutes to play.

Midfielder Rodri will now miss next week’s decisive match against Galatasaray. His sending off, after receiving two yellow cards in the space of 53 seconds, cost his team the chance to turn the game around.

“We lost and since the new year, [there are] Many things against [us]Guardiola added: “But I know how good the team is. We did not underestimate them. They reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, they were fresh in their minds and we reached some sections without important players.

“They were a bit fragile like some periods last season. We have to change the dynamic quickly.”