Pep Guardiola on Wednesday said that he cannot see Manchester City winning the UEFA Champions League on current form, but believes his side will be better when they face the might of either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich next month.
City needed a second-half fightback from 1-0 down to beat Club Brugge 3-1 to avoid crashing out before the knockout stages for the first time since 2012.
Their reward could be just a stay of execution against either the defending champions or Guardiola’s former club Bayern.
Photo: AFP
City have also been a diminished force in the English Premier League this season, where they sit fourth — 12 points behind leaders Liverpool — but Guardiola is hopeful they will be strengthened by the return of key players from injury, as well as new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.
“Right now no. I’m so realistic,” Guardiola said when asked if the 2022-2023 champions could win the competition again. “[Real] Madrid is back in terms of results, Bayern played an incredible season so far with [coach] Vinny [Kompany]. If we have to play tomorrow it will be difficult, but in two weeks we don’t know. We are going to prepare well, be fit and try it, and see what happens.”
Despite their struggles, City have won six and drawn one of their past eight games.
Photo: Reuters
“At least lately we are getting results,” Guardiola said. “We are fourth in Premier League, not in the title race, no way, but still we are there. FA Cup we are there. Sometimes it is impossible today, but tomorrow the mindset, the vibes change, and I’m pretty sure we will try and create problems for Madrid or Bayern.”
City’s narrow escape played a central role on a dramatic final night for the first season of the Champions League’s new format.
Guardiola said he could appreciate that the change has made the early stages of the competition more appealing to fans, even if it caused him far more tension, and he believes other big clubs will face similar struggles.
“As a spectator how many things [were still to be decided] is nice. The problem is we play more games in October, November, December, and in the future important teams will live what we lived this season,” he said. “We were on the verge, 45 minutes from being out. It is an incredible lesson for me, the club, that nothing is [taken] for granted. Congratulate the team because still they have pride and we’ll see how we arrive in two weeks.”
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