City need to suffer so we can deliver KO blow says Pep
PEP GUARDIOLA has admitted Manchester City may need to “suffer” in the Champions League group stage to prove they can go all the way and lift the trophy.
City were shocked at home by Lyon in their opening group game and take on Hoffenheim tonight needing a win to get their European campaign going.
The Blues qualified with ease from the group stage in the past two seasons under Guardiola, only to fall to Monaco at the last-16 stage in 2017 and in the quarter-finals against Liverpool last season.
And Guardiola suggested the Lyon loss may ultimately work in City’s favour in toughening them up and sharpening their competitive edge in the group stage, so they are at their best when it comes to the knockout stage.
“The last two seasons I’ve been here we’ve qualified quite comfortably,” said Guardiola. “Maybe we have to realise how complicated the competition is and suffer in the group stage to make a step forward in the knockout games.
“If we’re not able to do that, it means we’re not good enough and we’ll prepare much better for next season. It’s simple like that.
“We have five finals to qualify, so in the Champions League we don’t have time to lose a lot of games. We know the situation we’re in.
“It’s a top-quality competition and every team are so good, which is why it’s so complicated.
“Apart from Real Madrid, nobody else has won the Champions League in the past three years, so it’s tough.”
City skipper Vincent Kompany admitted winning the Champions League is the final challenge for the (3-3-2-2) BAUMAN AKPOGUMA HOOGMA POSCH KADERABEK GRILLITISCH SCHULZ DEMIRBAY BITTENCOURT JOELINTON club, but also admitted it will be their hardest yet.
“I’d love to win it with City, but it’s such a tough competition to win,” said Kompany. “It’s OK to say we want to win it, but there are other teams who are just as well equipped to win it.
“Firstly, we have to deal with fact. We lost to Lyon, worry about Hoffenheim and then, if we get momentum, anything is possible.
“It’s the last step we haven’t achieved yet and the club are always aiming to progress. There’s nothing more we haven’t achieved, but this is such a difficult competition to win.”
City, who have lost their last four Champions League games, are expected to overcome Hoffenheim, currently 11th in the Bundesliga and coming off the back of a 2-1 home defeat by RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Sergio Aguero has been carrying a foot injury and it remains to be seen if Guardiola rests him and starts with Gabriel Jesus tonight, with Sunday’s important Premier League trip to Liverpool in mind.
Guardiola also ruled out City making a move for France World Cup winner and Paris Saint-Germain’s £200million-rated forward Kylian Mbappe.
“That is not going to happen,” said Guardiola. “Manchester City aren’t going to spend the money that Mbappe deserves, or that PSG deserve. PSG are not going to sell this kind of player to any other club in the world in the next years.
“Mbappe is not going to come here and we are not going to swap Raheem Sterling or another top player that we have.” (4-3-3) EDERSON DANILO KOMPANY STONES ZINCHENKO FERNANDINHO GUNDOGAN D SILVA STERLING AGUERO KRAMARIC SANE REFEREE: D Skomina (Slovenia). TV: BT Sport 3. KICK-OFF: 5.55pm. REPORTS