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Marmoush could be the key to unlock Man City’s UCL fortunes.
33 minutes is all Omar Marmoush needed to score his first Manchester City hat trick in Saturday’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Newcastle United. It was a whirlwind demonstration of what the Egyptian offers Pep Guardiola. Marmoush gives City a different dimension and that could be useful against Real Madrid this week.
Pep Guardiola’s team head into Wednesday’s Champions League last 24 second leg knowing they must come up something different to overturn a 3-2 deficit against Real Madrid. Marmoush could be the key to Manchester City staging a comeback in the Spanish capital and making the last 16 against the odds.
The €70m signing of Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt hints at how Guardiola wants to evolve his City side. The 25-year-old is a more vertical player than any other in the Manchester City squad. He wants to get forward and do so as quickly as possible. This was evident in the hat trick he scored against Newcastle.
Guardiola wants City to be more direct. He was spoken about it publicly, pointing out how many of the best teams in the modern game play directly. Marmoush’s addition to the squad reflects this. Capable of playing out wide or as a partner for Erling Haaland, he has made an immediate impact.
Last week, Real Madrid were the ones who played a direct game. They moved into open space as quickly as they could through the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, also getting Jude Bellingham forward from midfield, as he did for the winning goal in stoppage time. It was an effective game plan.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Manchester City must attempt to flip the script on their opponents. Real Madrid have several defensive absentees, meaning they will field a makeshift backline in the second leg just as they did in the first leg. City would be wise to match up against Real Madrid’s defenders as quickly and as often as possible.
This should see Marmoush start. Manchester City need his direct running and dynamism in the attacking third. They need his speed to force Real Madrid into difficult decisions. They require his goal threat to out-score an opponent with the ability to find the back of the net themselves at any moment.
“When we played against Chelsea, he played good and we won,” said Guardiola when asked about the impact Marmoush made for City against Newcastle. “He’s a player that we missed, his movements in behind and his pace. He likes to attack the space and he helps to play with more time. When we play like we did today, everyone is better.”
City are at the start of a squad rebuild. Kyle Walker has already been pushed out of the club with Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan also out of contract at the end of the season. Guardiola needs a younger squad to play a high-energy, high-risk game and the process of rejuvenation started in the January transfer window.
Nico Gonzalez was impressive in the way he controlled midfield against Newcastle United on Saturday while Abdukodir Khusanov has steadied himself after a calamitous debut. Marmoush, however, is the January signing with the potential to move the needle for Manchester City in the immediate term.
A Champions League run could still make this season a special one for City even if their struggles in the Premier League continue. Guardiola might be rebuilding his team for the future, but Marmoush is a player who is already delivering. After Newcastle United, Real Madrid might be the next team the Egyptian attacker puts to the sword.
