Winning the Champions League for the first time represents “something incredible” for Manchester City, but in the history of the competition “we have not done anything special,” coach Pep Guardiola put it into perspective on Monday, on the eve of the return leg. to the European Cup.
“For our club, winning the Champions League is something incredible. But how many teams have won one? A lot. There are many who have won two, three, four, five. In perspective, we didn’t do anything special, just one,” said the Spaniard at a press conference.
The Citizens put their crown on the line on Tuesday (9:00 p.m.) at home against Red Star Belgrade, a club they had never faced before. For Guardiola, we must advance step by step in the competition, without thinking about the final scheduled at Wembley at the end of the season.
“We didn’t think about that,” he responded to a journalist, referring to the location of the last game. “You have to think about the final when you are in the quarterfinals and semifinals,” not before. “There is still a long, long, long time” before thinking about a new final, according to Guardiola.
Without Stones, Kovacic and Grealish
“Let’s try to beat a team that is so aggressive and fast in attack on Tuesday,” he said of Belgrade, whose attack is led by Jean-Philippe Krasso (6 goals in 7 league games), who arrived this summer from Saint-Etienne. (L2).
For the resumption of the Champions League, Manchester City will be without defender John Stones, midfielder Mateo Kovacic and winger Jack Grealish, Guardiola confirmed on Monday.
“They are better” without being available on Tuesday, the coach said. He is hoping to get them back for Saturday’s game against Nottingham in the Premier League, or “the next few games.”
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