‘JUST BE SURE FROM THE SPOT’

PEP GUARDIOLA has not forced his players to practise penalties ahead of today’s final.

The Manchester City boss has seen Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan miss from the spot this season.

And when Kevin De Bruyne scored from 12 yards to claim a famous Champions League victory over Real Madrid in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, it was only the 11th penalty City have converted in 16 attempts this season.

Guardiola is a notorious control freak — but the Blues lifted the Carabao Cup by beating Chelsea in a shoot-out last year.

And he admitted: “The guys who want to take penalties practise quite often, but I am not a big fan of it. I believe that it’s all about how you feel before you take a penalty. You are at Wembley, under pressure, so it is in your head. If you say, ‘OK, I am going to score’ — that is the way. When you have doubts, you miss.

“I don’t care if they go right, left, up, down or Panenka, look at the keeper or don’t look at the keeper.

“The only thing that matters is that the player thinks he will score, because normally he will.”

Guardiola has an idea who he will ask to step up if the clash with Aston Villa is deadlocked after 120 minutes.

But he added: “Sometimes I write who I would love to see take the penalties, but then I leave it to the players because, during the game, it is all about confidence.

“The taker has to be convinced they’re going to score. No fear, no negativity, not one single thought they’re going to miss.

“If a guy misses and they tell me they were sure they were going to score, then it isn’t a problem. But if they miss and then later say they had doubts, that’s no good.”