Pep Guardiola thinks his club will face a Bayern Munich team on Wednesday who strongly believe they can turn the tie around despite the fact that Man City leads the quarterfinal of the Champions League 3-0 after the first leg.
Bayern Munich’s team, according to Pep Guardiola, has defiance “in their skin,” thus Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will face a difficult test of character.
In the semi-finals of the previous season, when they lead Real Madrid 5-3 on aggregate as stoppage time approached in the second leg, Manchester City appeared to have the match in hand before imploding, it was the most recent occasion this happened.
When asked if he had greater faith in his team’s ability to complete the task, he replied, “Yes.”
I would like to say yes, but I don’t know. Every game is completely different.
I didn’t say to the team to be careful with Bayern Munich, how difficult they are. They are not relaxed because they felt it, they know it, how good the [Bayern] team is.
The opponent has many, many weapons, and that’s why you have to be yourself. What do you have to do to achieve it? Be ourselves as much as possible.
Pep Guardiola said.
When Phil Foden returned from appendicitis, Guardiola declared that Man City were “here for business” and that Foden would be a substitute.
Only Carlo Ancelotti (105) and Alex Ferguson (102) have won more Champions League games than the Catalan coach, who is one victory away from making personal history.
If he were to reach that century on Wednesday, it would have done so in 158 games as opposed to Ancelotti’s 180 and Ferguson’s 184.
Manchester City won’t fortify their defense unless and until the situation calls for it, according to Pep Guardiola, who added that they didn’t travel to Bayern Munich to sit on their advantage.
I don’t understand the situation of coming here just to defend something. We come here to play one football game. If you think about just the result and what you have to do, or what we have done in the past, it would be a big mistake for us.
We are a few. We’re going to try to impose our game. We come here knowing the quality they have, adapt quick to maybe some new formation of the opponent, and do our game.
We talk about the game we have to play and not talk about the result we had one week ago. It’s what you have to do in the game and focus in every single action to do what you have to do to get the result as best as possible to reach the semi-final.
I’ve been here at Bayern Munich and know the mentality of this club, It’s everywhere: it’s in [the club’s HQ at] Sabener Strasse, it’s in their skin.
“I know they believe they can do it, and we believe, too.”
Pep Guardiola said.
Thomas Muller, a substitute in the first leg, is expected to start for Bayern Munich, according to Pep Guardiola.
If that happens, Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan will be among those keeping a close eye on the Bayern Munich star, who he is familiar with from their time together in Germany’s midfield.
Given that Pep Gundogan’s contract with Manchester City expires at the end of June, his future there is still up in the air, and the 32-year-old was unable to provide any indication of whether he intends to stay in Man City.