Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola has urged his gamers to hold their heads down earlier than Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain.
A blended first leg noticed Metropolis dominate in the primary half and excel within the second, with objectives from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez firing Guardiola’s facet to a 2-1 victory on the Parc des Princes. With two away objectives to his identify, Metropolis have a large benefit over their rivals, who should do twice to have any likelihood of qualifying for the last.
Metropolis shook to a formidable victory | Xavier Laine / Getty Photographs
You assume that the last can be the hardest match of Metropolis’s season, however Guardiola was eager to emphasise that Tuesday’s match – the second a part of a semi-final – will undoubtedly be more durable.
“Within the last, it is fully completely different,” Guardiola mentioned. “The second stage of the semi-final is all the time the hardest recreation, greater than the last.
In my expertise, the semifinals are all the time troublesome as a result of you realize you’re fiddling with the outcome of the primary stage in your thoughts and you’re pondering “Remaining, last, last”. Typically you’ll be able to neglect what you may have to do, that’s, to win the recreation you’re taking part in. That is why I don’t give it some thought a lot.
Let’s get right down to ???????? ?
? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/tXQZAiL3CX
– Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) 4 Might 2021
“In my expertise, it’s all the time troublesome within the semi-finals, not solely on this membership however in all of the golf equipment I actually have been to.”
That is the primary time Guardiola has made it this far within the Champions League with Metropolis. He reached the semi-finals 3 times with Bayern Munich, however ended up every time in opposition to Actual Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
His final season with Barcelona additionally gave a heartbeat within the semi-finals, with the Catalans for Chelsea and Fernando Torres’ late objectives.
Guardiola’s final triumph got here in 2011 | CARL DE SOUZA / Getty Photographs
“I do know precisely what we’re taking part in for,” Guardiola continued. “I don’t have to inform gamers, backroom workers, docs or cooks how essential it’s. We have been in search of this second for a lot of, a few years, however we simply must keep house tonight, arrive tomorrow calm and play the recreation.
“We’ll management our feelings, do precisely what we’ve finished all season, which implies we’ve to remain calm within the unhealthy moments.”
For extra from Tom Gott, observe him on Twitter!
