Pep Guardiola has warned that Manchester City must 'change the dynamic quick' after a 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle compounded their recent struggles. The Champions League loss, in which Rodri was sent off, leaves City's hopes of automatic progression to the last 16 hanging on a final group stage match against Galatasaray next week.
The reigning Premier League champions have now failed to win in their last four league outings, including a demoralising derby defeat to Manchester United. Guardiola acknowledged the team's fragility, citing the absence of 11 senior players due to injury, illness, suspension or ineligibility.
'I know how good a team Bodo are. I didn't underestimate them,' Guardiola said after the match. 'Everything has started to be, since the new year, against [us] in many, many things.' He emphasised the need to change the dynamic quickly ahead of league fixtures and the decisive Galatasaray encounter.
City fell behind early through Kasper Hogh's first-half double, before Jens Petter Hauge added a stunning third after the break. Rayan Cherki pulled one back, but Rodri's dismissal for two quick bookings ended any comeback hopes. Bodo/Glimt could have extended their lead, hitting the woodwork and having a goal disallowed.
Guardiola refused to criticise Rodri, calling the second booking 'a little bit soft' but accepting 'it is what it is.' He dismissed suggestions his team was flat, instead praising Bodo/Glimt's performance. 'It was an incredible opportunity for us and the feeling is that everything [that can be] going wrong, is going [wrong] in many, many details,' he added.
