Manchester City has just completed the 2022/23 season with a magnificent "treble." However, according to former midfielder Yaya Toure, Pep Guardiola's current team is "not experienced enough" to compare with Barcelona's 2009 team, of which he was a member.
Toure recently stated in an interview with Sport Mail that the Barcelona team with their 2008/09 "treble" would easily "destroy" the current Manchester City team. He said, "Just imagine. Barcelona had Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, and Samuel Eto'o in attack. They were the best strikers in the world. Behind them, there were Xavi, Andres Iniesta, then me, and later Sergio Busquets...". Toure reminisced with pride.
Toure emphasized, "The match might be dramatic and tense, but I'm 100% certain that 'Barca 2009' would come out as the winners, if they played against the current Man City team under Pep Guardiola." Toure's comparisons have stirred up public opinion, as the sky blue half of Manchester has just had an incredibly impressive season with a magnificent "treble."
Toure spent three years with Barcelona starting in 2007. He was a member of the Catalan team that won the UEFA Champions League in 2008/09. In addition, the Ivorian star won one Copa del Rey, two La Liga titles, and numerous other titles with Barcelona before moving to Manchester City to become a legend at the Etihad. Therefore, Toure's comments are noteworthy.
Barcelona in the 2008/09 season was a team with almost no weaknesses. They played a devastating brand of football and went on to win the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup to complete the "sextuple" in 2009. This means that in terms of achievements alone, Manchester City will have to make a lot of effort to match the Catalan team.
However, Barcelona 2009 heavily relied on Lionel Messi. The style of play that coach Guardiola built at that time depended heavily on the form of the Argentine superstar. When Messi excelled, the Catalan team excelled. But when he was effectively marked by the opponent, Barcelona became extremely stagnant in their attacking play. Naturally, compared to Messi, Manchester City's current striker Erling Haaland lacks the same level of quality.
In a recent interview, Pep Guardiola proudly stated that his current Manchester City team plays without relying on any particular star on the field. In other words, Manchester City is a more modern and well-rounded team. They excel in transitioning quickly to attack, with the "warrior" Haaland always racing forward with rocket-like speed to receive clever passes from players like Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, or Bernardo Silva. With this style of play, Manchester City sometimes even has less possession than their opponents but still creates a feeling of winning in a somewhat... less convincing manner.
Of course, everyone has their own opinions and perspectives. What Toure said is not necessarily correct, even though he was part of the team. To truly determine whether Barcelona 2009 or the current Manchester City team is stronger, we may need to find Doraemon's "time machine" to go back to the past and organize a showdown between the two teams at their peak. Only then can the winning team rightfully claim to be the "undefeated ruler of all."
Note: The translation may not capture the exact nuances and sentiments of the original text.
