Pep lauds City’s commitment and desire
MANCHESTER City manager Pep Guardiola knew their Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund would be no walk in the park, despite the recent form of both clubs, so he was pleased to come out of Tuesday night’s first leg with a 2-1 advantage.
City went ahead in the first half through Kevin De Bruyne before Marco Reus scored an 84th minute equaliser, but Phil Foden grabbed a last-minute winner to tip the balance in favour of the Premier League leaders.
Guardiola’s side lacked their usual sharpness in the final third but the Spaniard said his team had to deal with a huge burden of expectation thanks to their red-hot form going into the match and Dortmund’s struggles in the Bundesliga.
“When you win 26 games in 27, and they are not winning the Bundesliga, the pressure is on our shoulders,” he said.
“Everything is guaranteed for us. Everybody believed we would win.
“We had an incredible commitment and desire to go through.”
Dortmund, who host the return leg on Wednesday, have seen their title hopes vanish and now look unlikely to grab a place in the top four, while City are looking to complete a quadruple.
Guardiola said he would look to make some adjustments for the return leg but stressed they would not be going to Germany to sit back and defend.
“I asked the players to win the game. We did it and now we go to Dortmund not to defend,” he added.
“We’ll adjust our pressing, adjust our build-up and play 90 minutes to try and reach the semi-final.”
Guardiola hailed the performance of 20-year-old Foden, who looked a real danger towards the end of the contest.
“Phil was brilliant in his aggression in the last 30 minutes, he was our threat,” Guardiola said.
“Second half, he played really well, and one against one arriving in the final third, he had two, three chances to score and finally did.”
City take on Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Meanwhile, City playmaker De Bruyne has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2025, the Premier League leaders said yesterday.
“I couldn't be happier," said Belgian De Bruyne, who has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and four League Cups as well as the 2020 PFA Player of the Year award since joining City in 2015 from German side VfL Wolfsburg.
"Since joining City ... I have felt at home. I love the fans, my family are settled here in Manchester and my own game has developed really well.
“This club is geared for success. It offers me everything I need to maximise my performance, so signing this contract was a straightforward decision. I am playing the best football of my career and I honestly feel there is more to come.
“Pep (Guardiola) and I see football in the same way. Having that relationship with a manager is so important to me because our objectives are totally aligned and we want the same things.”
De Bruyne has played 255 games in all competitions for City, scoring 65 goals and assisting 105.