5 Reasons Why Manchester City Struggle In The Champions League

Having competed in the Champions League for a significantly lesser time than those of AC Milan, Bayern Munich and even neighbors Manchester United, every season is a learning curve.

In the few years they have been ever-present, I have yet to see them shut a team out with no air of worry.

To their credit, this is something Manchester City are able to appreciate against the big bogs of European football. However, it is the lesser teams that often elude them, having a fair share of dropped points in the past.

Villareal, Ajax, Napoli -- These are games where those two extra points could have made the biggest of differences.

There is no doubt that Sergio Aguero is on the shortlist for the best forwards in the World. City’s problem though is their contingency for when he is unavailable.

Now, this does not discredit their goalscoring potency, as they do often find the back of the net when he is unavailable. But for those big games, the RO16 and beyond, you need your best available. You need that cutting edge.

One of the most telling factors when it comes to Manchester City in the Champions League is how when the team has an off day, they really can't get the three points. The ability to snatch, steal or grind out a game and take the three points have been an elusive entity in Europe, and if they wish to progress, they need to take some of that domestic experience with them.