Manchester City set Champions League pass record in Basel loss

Manchester City set a new record for passes completed in a Champions League match despite suffering a 2-1 loss at home to Basel.

City progressed 5-2 on aggregate after slipping to a first home loss since December 2016, goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Michael Lang earning the Swiss side a shock win.

Pep Guardiola made nine changes from the side that won 4-0 in Switzerland three weeks ago and the lack of fluidity was evident despite Gabriel Jesus marking his first start of 2018 with an early goal.

City lacked penetration throughout but completed 978 passes, the highest total recorded in a Champions League game since the 2003-04 season, when Opta began collecting such data.

The runaway Premier League leaders also set a passing record in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, Bernardo Silva’s 46th-minute winner taking the points.

City made 902 passes against last season’s champions, again the most since Opta records began in the 2003-04 season.

978 – Manchester City completed 978 passes tonight; the most recorded by a side in a Champions League match since 2003-04 (when we have this data available from), three days after having the most in a Premier League game (902 v Chelsea). Robotic.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 7, 2018