Joe Cole says ‘fear has crept into the players’ as Real Madrid ‘smelt blood’ in victory over Manchester City

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It was a hugely disappointing night for Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League following a 3-2 defeat in their knockout round play-off first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Former City man Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham scored in the closing stages to complete a memorable comeback for Carlo Ancelotti's side, while the inquest begins on another sobering night in a difficult campaign for City.

Cole says Man City have allowed fear to ‘creep in’ - ‘Don’t know where the end is’

Video credit: TNT Sports

Joe Cole believes that Manchester City’s players have lost their air of invincibility, which was ruthlessly capitalised on by Real Madrid.

City looked to be heading to the Bernabeu with a 2-1 lead when Erling Haaland netted from the penalty spot, but goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham ensured it was Los Blancos who head into the second leg with a coveted lead.

Cole highlighted how mistakes are now being present in City’s performances, and believes Pep Guardiola’s men are shadows of their former selves.

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"We've talked about Man City and waxed lyrical about how good they've been over the past decade, and sometimes I've said ‘I don't see a fault anywhere in the club, and they always find a way to win,’" he told TNT Sports.

"It seems now that they always find a way to not get it done. You see Ederson coming out there and just making bad decisions, [Mateo] Kovacic coming there and flicking the ball [leading to Real’s third goal] when he's normally so assured with the ball.

"There are so many things that Manchester City are doing now that they're getting punished for. That's what happens, as much as on the flip side, when things are going well, when you're winning and expecting to score.

"That fear has crept into the players. I don't know where the end is now, because they pushed Real Madrid, matched them in so many aspects of the game. But Real Madrid smelt blood, they just know when to do it, they've got this rhythm.

"Manchester City look like a group of players, a team and a club trying to remember what they were."

Former City defender Joleon Lescott felt that the players crumbled under the pressure of holding a lead, but stressed that Real Madrid’s incredible track record in this competition had a huge part to play in their comeback.

"I think it's worse when they're ahead," he explained.

"When they're behind, they play with the shackles off and are more fearless in regard to the result. Tonight, that could've happened if Man City were at their best. It's Madrid we're talking about; this competition and Madrid are unprecedented.

"There's nobody else like that club and group of players. When they put those shirts on in this competition, it means something else. From Man City's perspective, their confidence is affected, and when you're on top of it and confident, you get bits of luck that may not be recognised.

"But then also, on the flip side, when the confidence is rock bottom, you saw the Kovacic thing there, Rico Lewis being half a yard out [for Real’s third goal], and then Ederson making unsure decisions.

"His distances are wrong, and then you see the luck of Vinicius Junior trying to shoot, but it ends up in the path of Jude Bellingham with a pass.

"So, everything goes against you when your confidence is on the floor. But with regard to tonight's result, I look at it and think they [Man City] should've got something out of it because they were ahead, but this is also Real Madrid and you have to take that into consideration."

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