Pep Guardiola prediction before Real Madrid is now coming true at Man City

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Manchester City were not able to do what they wanted to against Real Madrid but Pep Guardiola's belief in the team has lasted

As Pep Guardiola wondered how Manchester City were going to get past Real Madrid in the Champions League after losing a 3-0 lead in the first leg, his chief worry was not about scoring the goals to get them level. There was more confidence in City being able to score three than to concede zero.

"The problem is not about creating chances here, even in the short times in 10 or 15 minutes, we are able to be there many times," he said. "We can create chances in minutes. We know each other. If we are able to be clinical and defend well, we will always be in the game."

In the end, they did neither after an early red card for Bernardo Silva that gifted Kylian Mbappe a penalty, and a 3-1 defeat sent them tumbling out of the last-16 and in danger of seeing their season fizzle out. They had dropped points in successive Premier League games against relegation strugglers where they simply weren't good enough in either box.

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If the Carabao Cup final in the same week as the Real game appeared daunting though, City did what Guardiola had said they could do. Nico O'Reilly popped up with two goals in five second-half minutes as the Blues made a dominant spell count with multiple strikes.

When the players returned after the international break, lightning struck for a second and third time. Arne Slot was more than happy with the way Liverpool played for the first 35 minutes of their FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad, only for City to score two in seven minutes at the end of the first half and then add two more in the 50th and 57th minutes.

And with Arsenal's home defeat to Bournemouth reigniting the title race last weekend, City put an average half at Chelsea behind them after the break with two goals in seven minutes before Jeremy Doku added a third 10 minutes later. Not only are City producing spells of dominant football, they are able to make multiple breakthroughs in them.

These performances show a team on the rise, but also one that - as has been said all season - is not the all-conquering team of old that can dominate for 90 minutes. Even now, Guardiola is spending chunks of each game as an unhappy spectator on the sidelines but something has clicked to mean that in the moments when City can boss the game they are being prolific and clinical enough - and that has been the decisive part in each of the last three games.

It didn't arrive in time for Real Madrid, but if City can strike while they are hot against Arsenal on Sunday that could be all they need to get the win that is required to keep their title charge going.