Manchester City is a very strange team. They are popular in every Cup, but why do they always fail?

Manchester City is quite unique. It is a favorite to win championships in all kinds of cup competitions every year, but the final result is always surprising. In this Club World Cup, when Bernardo Silva scored a nine-minute goal to break through the Orlando night sky, no one would have expected the final direction of this Club World Cup matchup. However, when Leonardo's fill-up shot through Ederson's fingers in the 112th minute of overtime, Riyadh Crescent not only ended Manchester City's Club World Cup journey, but also engraved the glorious moment of Asian football in the history of football. This ups and downs in goal battle is just like the latest footnote to Manchester City's "Hot Hots Will Death" curse in recent years. The progress of the

The race was like a roller coaster, with ups and downs. Manchester City made a fantastic start with the B-seat inspiration, but Riyadh Crescent goalkeeper Bunu's subsequent six divine pounces kept Blue Moon's offensive frenzy out. When people thought this would be a "half-court offensive and defensive drill", the Crescent team suddenly accelerated at the beginning of the second half. Leonardo and Malcolm's two heavy punches within 7 minutes completely disrupted Guardiola's tactical deployment. Haaland's goal in the 55th minute seemed to stabilize the morale of the army, but in overtime, Culibaly's header and Foden's redemption eventually became the background board for Leonardo's crowned hero. The data level reveals the deep logic of this upset: Manchester City's expected goal value (xG) of 4.21 seems to have the advantage, but the Crescent team used textbook-like fast counterattack and set-piece tactics to convert 3.20's xG into 4 goals. Bunu's magical performance of 10 saves in the game fully interprets the iron law of the football "weak team's go out god". This game proves that in the world of football, the gap in paper strength has never been the only bargaining factor in determining the outcome.

From the defending Premier League champion to the Champions League regular, Manchester City's lineup thickness and tactical literacy have reached the top in Europe in recent years, but the failure of key events has lingered like a nightmare. To count Manchester City under Guardiola, this luxurious team has always been unable to break through the "last hurdle" of the "last hurdle" of this luxury team.

The deep crux of the problem may be hidden in Guardiola's tactical philosophy. When the pass control system encounters targeted defense and when absolute control is forced to be transferred, Manchester City soldiers often fall into a contradictory mentality of "not only want to retain the ball, but also fearing a quick counterattack." This tactical hesitation, projecting at the psychological level as a decision-making hesitation at the critical moment - the three excellent opportunities that Haaland missed in this game, and the team's instant relaxation after Foden scored in overtime are all proof of this.

What is more worthy of attention is the continuous cover of the shadow of injury. The lack of midfield creativity caused by De Bruyne's long absence, and the injury of Rodri and Stones' back-end backers made Manchester City gradually show signs of fatigue during the intensive schedule. Guardiola's joke about "let players enjoy golf" before the game is like a helpless self-deprecating of the team's physical and mental state. The victory of the Riyadh Crescent is by no means accidental. This Saudi giant team proves with actual performance that Asian football is breaking through the traditional pattern: tied Real Madrid in the group stage to show tactical discipline, and overturning Manchester City in the knockout stage to demonstrate execution ability. The flexible system of "three central defenders transform into formations and four guards" created by coach Inzaghi, not only maintains the defensive density, but also releases the assault force on the wing. The Brazilian double guns composed of Leonardo and Malcolm use speed and skills to tear open the best defense line of the Premier League; the defense led by Couliebali uses physical resistance to resolve Haaland's impact. The deeper inspiration lies in the benign interaction between capital injection and youth training system. The Crescent team includes famous European stars such as Mitrovic and Neves, as well as local rookies such as Dosari and Hamdan. This dual-track progress of "recruitment + hematopoiesis" is exactly the feasible path for Asian football to fight against European giants. When Ronaldo continues the legend in Riyadh victory, and when the Crescent team creates history in the Club World Cup, Saudi football is writing a new chapter with gold and wisdom.

Manchester City's dilemma is essentially a common proposition of the top modern football giants: when the lineup strength reaches the critical point, how to break through the psychological shackles? Guardiola needs to regain the determination of the Barcelona era in 2009 and draw a more decisive plan B on the tactical board; Haaland and others need to understand that the competition between top shooters is not only about shooting, but also about responsibility at critical moments; club managers need to reserve enough space for the "Big Ear Cup" in the honor room.

This defeat may be the turning point for the Manchester City dynasty. Just like the 2012 Chelsea counterattack story in the Champions League, the real champion is never crowned in good times, but reborn in desperate times. When Riyadh Crescent players celebrate madly in the locker room, Manchester City players should be clear about the fact that there is no eternal popularity on the road to legend, only the never-ending strugglers. The night sky in Orlando will eventually remain calm, but this classic 4-3 battle is destined to continue to ferment in the history of football. It is not only a bitter fruit that Manchester City needs to chew, but also a milestone in the rise of Asian football and ultimately becomes a catalyst for the evolution of the world football landscape. For the Blue Moon, perhaps as Guardiola said: "Failure is the only way to success, as long as we know how to find direction in pain. "