Manchester City's Lack of a Killer Instinct in Europe Will Cost Them Dear

The dust has settled on Matchday 3 in the 2014/15 Champions League, and for Manchester City, missing the killer instinct they possess in domestic competition is costing them dear in Europe.

Tuesday night's draw against CSKA Moscow garnered the English champions only their second point from the nine on offer. After a loss at Bayern Munich and a disappointing stalemate from hosting AS Roma, the Sky Blues find themselves off the pace in Group E.

The 2-2 draw at Arena Khimki marked the second successive tie for City in Group E, as well as the second successive game in which they squandered a lead. 

Having led virtually from the start against Roma, Francesco Totti's equaliser nullified Sergio Aguero's effort from the spot to seal a 1-1 draw. An absence of defensive discipline blighted the Citizens once more on Tuesday, as goals from Aguero and James Milner were cancelled out by the retaliations of Seydou Doumbia and Bibras Natkho.

The remaining slate doesn't make for pretty reading.

With three games left in the groups, Manuel Pellegrini's side have tricky tasks up ahead. 

The return fixture against CSKA Moscow is the easiest on paper, followed by the second tie against Bayern Munich. The most vital fixture is saved for last—a trip to the Stadio Olimpico to face Totti and Rudi Garcia's Roma once again.

Of course, under normal circumstances, the CSKA and Roma games wouldn't provoke too much consternation from fans. However, the way City have been playing in Europe does away with "normal circumstances." What exactly is the problem with Manchester City in Europe?

The lack of a killer instinct is one. 

City seem unable to wrest control of a tie and keep hold of it until the final whistle. 

Tuesday's match signified the 10th straight Champions League game in which Pellegrini's side conceded (per BBC Sport), illustrating the serial squandering of opportunities committed by City's defence. In light of this, Pellegrini's post-match comments (via MCFC.co.uk) bemoaned the latest instance of profligacy:

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Football is 95 minutes, it’s not just the first half. We played very well in the first half, we scored two goals and had many more clear chances to score.

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Who's to blame? B/R's Phil Keidel suggests Yaya Toure, once known as one of City's most reliable performers, has severely dropped off the radar this campaign. Keidel believes Toure's lack of impact in the stats column translates to his poor performances in Europe:

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In the Champions League, i.e. the most important matches on City's schedule, Toure has been virtually useless. No goals, no assists, only one shot on target out of three taken in three matches. If Toure is not tracking back to defend, and he is not putting the ball in the net or creating chances, exactly what is he doing?

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Although some of Fernando's performances in defensive midfield have been lauded since his summer arrival from Porto, it hasn't been enough to mask the performances of his colleague.

On the face of it, the defence hasn't been stymied in any particular style over the last three European games. Conceding four goals isn't such a bad return, especially considering Bayern Munich put seven past Roma in a remarkable fixture on Tuesday.

However, with the defence replete with commanding, experienced figures such as Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and often Martin Demichelis, errors in judgment and lapses of concentration must be a rarity. 

There's no room for nerves to creep in—and with the limited room for error in Group E, this must be playing on the mind of Kompany and company.

At the other end, the attackers must do more to relieve the workload that Aguero is carrying.

The Argentine is at his blistering, destructive best at the moment after putting four past Hugo Lloris on Saturday, and he struck his second in two European games on Tuesday. Edin Dzeko must do more to impact the scoreline on the continent—so too must Stevan Jovetic in his cameos off the bench.

From midfield as well, attacking reinforcements can come.

The maligned Toure, so reliable for City in the past (scoring 20 goals in the Premier League last season), has to rediscover the form of his exceptional past. Similarly, midfield schemers and international colleagues David Silva and Jesus Navas can be more effective from a withdrawn position.

However, City's form in the Premier League—three wins in the last three games, no losses in the last five—is remarkable in comparison. To that end, the players are absolved from some proportion of blame.

You might surmise then that it's something to do with the mindset of playing in Europe—the pressure of playing for owner Sheikh Mansour's most coveted prize. City have already won the domestic title twice in recent memory, and both FA and League Cup successes bolster those.

City must find a solution if they are to vanquish their demons and further their chances of attaining the one objective that currently eludes them. They have three games—and failure will not be tolerated.

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What do you think is the cause behind City's failure to put teams away in Europe?  Let me know with a comment, or alternatively start the debate on Twitter.