3-0 in the first leg against FC Bayern Munich – Manchester City has more than one foot in the Champions League semi-finals. But just defending the lead in Munich is dangerous, warns city coach Pep Guardiola.
“We don’t come here to defend anything,” said former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola ahead of the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against FC Bayern Munich. (9.00 p.m. | Live report in the sports show audio stream) “We will try to be better than our opponents. If you only look at the first leg result, that would be a big mistake,” said Guardiola.
The Spaniard has warned his players against the opponent after the 3-0 from the first leg to be taken lightly: “I know how it is against Bayern Munich. If you are even a bit passive, you will suffer.”
Guardiola: ‘They can do the same to us’
His eleven have to “appear aggressively in order to win. That’s my basic attitude and it has to be in the minds of my players.” Because there, not with the legs, the duel will be decided: “We need a lot of energy and great courage. If we are just a little bit passive, they can do the same to us as we did to them.”
“It’s a final,” the 52-year-old continued. He calls Bayern a “top, top, top team” and “one of the best teams in Europe”: “I know the character and personality of Bayern and their players, their mentality. We have to work a lot and be mentally stable in difficult moments .”
Cabin dispute can strengthen Bayern
The cabin dispute in the first leg between Bayern stars Sadio Mané and Leroy Sané even make Munich “absolutely” more dangerous: “It doesn’t weaken them, it strengthens them,” Guardiola claimed: “They will show their best performance on Wednesday evening.”
The German international in the ranks of City, Ilkay Gündogan, also believes that: “We must not think about the first leg result. It is a special competition in which there are crazy results. Above all, we must not allow an early 0-1, otherwise Bayern will think maybe there’s still something going on here.”
Gündogan raves about Tuchel
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel knows Gündogan from his time at Borussia Dortmund and considers him a top coach. The ex-Nuremberg resident is sure that his handwriting will soon be recognizable. “Then you’ll say ‘wow’, but hopefully not tomorrow.”