Along with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City is the other new rich on the football planet who still refuses to win the Champions League. It’s simple: for ten years, the Mancunians have only played one final (2021). They played two semi-finals, three quarter-finals and as many eighths. Tomorrow night, against RB Leipzig, Pep Guardiola’s men will have no room for error. The German formation is not the little Poucet of the competition, but City are the big favorites for this duel. The pressure will therefore be on the shoulders of the Mancunians. Held in check in the first leg (1-1), they are forced to win to pass. And given the many disappointments experienced by the club in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola did not escape the famous questions concerning the risk of premature elimination.
“It’s the same with a lot of theories about this club. We cannot control them. It’s good, at the start of the season, we are among the main candidates, the main favorites of this competition. The reality is 95 minutes on the pitch. Leipzig, after the draw, even before the first leg, are a very good team. Any team in England, Napoli, Milan, Madrid, is too. Many qualities, many strengths. We have to impose our game, we have to win the match. It’s simple, it’s not about knowing how many goals to score. Just win the game. » Also questioned on this subject this Monday at a press conference, Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, seemed a little more tired of these repetitive questions.
The Skyblues play down
“If you believe what he’s saying, yes, we didn’t win it, but we did very well. People are only based on winning. There are a lot of circumstances, the Madrid game, Tottenham, we deserved to pass. There are moments in matches, these are things that happen. I want to win, but I know that until we win, I will be asked the same questions. If people judge you on that, we just try to win games and give our best. » Yet, the Skyblues know that only the final victory will change people’s opinion of them.
” Yes. It doesn’t mean that I agree, but yes, we will be judged for this competition. During my first Champions League game here, they asked me if I had come to win the Champions League. If I was coaching Real Madrid, I would understand that pressure, but no matter how much we progress, it’s something that won’t change.”, Guardiola said. But don’t count on the Cityzens to underestimate this Leipzig side. “The risk of underestimating them is not huge. We have played them three times, we know which team it is. The energy, quality and intensity are high. The DNA of RB Leipzig, the aggressive players in the middle. They make the game difficult. I played against them in Wolfsburg, it’s quite similar. The quality is still there. They went from the second division to the top 4 and the Champions League. You can’t do that without quality. I am very aware of the threat they represent. » See you tomorrow at 9 p.m.
Pub. THE
update the
You must be logged in to post a comment Login