Pep Guardiola is concentrating on the match at present instead of thinking back a year ago as the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Semi-final which is a replay of previous edition’s Last 4 rounds. City’s Spaniard coach as we all know is a Catalonian and has also defeated Real Madrid during his time as manager of FC Barcelona. He will renew his side of rivalry by returning to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Guardiola said that it was difficult to swallow the defeat from previous season at the moment. With a 1-0 win on the evening and a 5-3 aggregate advantage going into extra time, City dominated the match in the second leg and appeared to be headed for the UEFA Champions League final. However, they abruptly folded, surrendering twice in a row, and losing the game in overtime.
“In general it was a good performance but it was not enough. You congratulate them and accept it and now one year later we are here. We are not here for revenge. It is another opportunity. One day we will get it. We will get to the final and win it.” – Guardiola said when asked about his feelings from last year’s defeat.
The loss against the most successful team in the competition extended the club’s list of close calls since Guardiola became manager in 2016, which also involves losing in the 2021 UCL Final. But tonight with a win against the same side will only increase their chances of landing the elusive UCL title.
“Last season it was the end of the world but here we are again. Being stable is the most important thing. The important thing is we are trying to get better every year. We were prepared last year too. We are the same manager, mainly the same players but completely different games.” – Guardiola concluded.
