FC Basel vs Manchester City: 5 Talking Points

#1 City can be quite jittery in defence

City were far from solid at the back.

City might have managed to come away with a clean sheet from Basel, but their manager will be well aware that the performances from a few at the back, were inadequate.

The match had a frantic start with the home side pushing forward in the opening minutes. A long hopeful ball forward by the Paraguayan Blás Riveros, was chased down by Oberlin, who made a complete hash of his finish. Ederson was caught in no-man's-land, but luckily for the English side, Nicolas Otamendi was at hand to tidy up the loose ball.

The defence managed to catch its breath as the more attacking players in the side started to dominate the ball, with most of the game now being played in the opposition half. The back four didn't see much of the ball for the remaining half, but not before Otamendi's rash challenge inside the box, went unpunished by referee Jonas Eriksson. The visitors were lucky to not give away a penalty as St. Jakob-Park collectively let out its frustration.

Kompany looked far from his best, as he has for most of the season. A worrying sign for the away fans who often turn to him for inspiration. The Belgian looked off the pace and was often found wanting, as runners kept getting in behind regularly.

The second half only saw more mediocre defending from the back-line in sky blue. The Swiss side kept finding a way in behind and lacked the quality when it really mattered, to trouble the soon-to-be English Champions.

Any other side, with the quality to match that of the team bank-rolled by the royal family of Abu Dhabi, say PSG (powered by Qatari money) or Barcelona (powered by Lionel Messi) could have made it very uncomfortable for Pep's side. Something the Spaniard will know fully well.

Rest assured that Guardiola hasn't let these instances slip his mind and will be asking for a lot more from his defenders, as the next round will most definitely require a much more stable defensive display.

Other contenders for the title will be quick to point of these frailties at the back for City.