Man City's recent struggles highlight vulnerabilities in Pep Guardiola's formerly dominant team.

Manchester City imploded against Real Madrid and handled leads like bars of butter-coated soap

Do you remember what it was like to play against Manchester City? A squad that retained the ball like no other, planned wave after wave of unrelenting attack, created an arced perimeter around your box, and shut down every escape route.

It was a dreadful, strangling, stifling process, similar to trying to change the bedsheets in a dark greenhouse. The numbing tiredness of not just playing but also watching Pep Guardiola's title side meant that once they scored the opening goal, you could just as well turn off the TV.

So, how did they go from that to this? From a team that gripped games and opponents tightly to one that handles both with ease?

On Tuesday, City lost 3-2 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League play-off at the Etihad Stadium, after leading 1-0 and 2-1 with only four minutes remaining.

With a third of the season remaining, City has already lost 10 leads this season. They only lost six games throughout all competitions the previous two seasons.

Manchester City has already thrown away ten leads this season.

Where does this one stand in a series that has seen ten potential victories converted into five draws and five losses?

There have been more stunning turnarounds, such as the 3-0 victory against Feyenoord that changed into a 3-3 tie in the final quarter-hour, or the 1-0 advantage over Manchester United with two minutes remaining that turned into a derby defeat.

Brentford led 2-0 after 82 minutes before being pegged back. Paris Saint-Germain led 2-0 after 56 minutes before being shut out.

But, given all of the warnings and the stakes at this novel but crucial stage of the one competition that could still save City's campaign, this could have been the most damning of them all.

For there was no evident moment when all momentum shifted and a comeback became unavoidable, like it does in football. City, if anything, had seized control with Erling Haaland's penalty with 10 minutes remaining. At that point, the festivities were filled with relief, as if they had already decided to travel to Spain the following week.

Madrid's advances from that point forward were menacing, but not those of a desperate club, knowing that neither a 2-1 defeat nor a 2-2 draw were dreadful outcomes, with a second leg at home still to come.

City merely needed to concentrate and finish the game, their senses undoubtedly heightened by the amount of times they have failed to do it in the last few months alone.

The defeat at the Etihad leaves Manchester City with an uphill struggle in the second leg of their Champions League play-off at the Bernabeu next week.

Instead, we saw the types of individual blunders that should have surprised us but no longer do. Ederson has long resembled the catch-all 'keeper who anchored six title wins in seven seasons. Across the two late Madrid goals, virtually every aspect of the Brazilian's game failed: distribution, shot-stopping, positioning, and decision-making.

Tellingly, two strikes by Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham increased City's tally of goals surrendered this season to 56, surpassing the previous season's total of 54 in 21 less games.

"It's just bad decisions," Guardiola explained afterwards. "Everyone is held accountable, and I accept responsibility. It's not just you and me; it's everyone."

And, of course, they are still alive, with the return to the Bernabeu on the way.

Madrid, on the other hand, understands that no matter how well City starts or what happens in the first 80, 85, or 90 minutes, there will be a way out of every hole.

Is there a squad in any sport in the world that need less encouragement?