Man City will not sit on lead in PSG second leg, insists Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has no intention of sitting back as Manchester City look to finish off Paris St Germain and reach the Champions League final.
Citycarrya2-1advantageinto the second leg of their semifinal tie at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
Guardiolasaid:“Itisaprivilegetobehere.Formostofusin this club it is the first time and we are going to do a good game. What we have to do is win the gameandafterwewillseewhat happens.”
Guardiolawonthecompetition twice with Barcelona, but thisisthefurthesthehasgotin five attempts with City.
The Spaniard has often been accused of over-thinking matters in the past but he insists his message to his players is a simple one.
Hesaid:“Wearriveinagood moment and I said to the guys, ‘Don’t think too much to win thegame’.It’slikewehavedone many times this season.
“It is the same message of the last six or seven months. We approach this game like another game. We start with a smalladvantagebutwehaveto play to win the game. This is all we are going to do.”
PSG have a fitness doubt over one of their star players, Kylian Mbappe, but Guardiola is fully expecting him to feature.
He said: “He is going to play – and I am looking forward to him playing, for the football and the game itself.”
Defender John Stones is confident City can complete the job and reach the final for the first time in the club’s history.
He said: “I think (we are) quietly confident, we have to be. It is a big occasion for us as players and as a club, a chance togetintoaChampionsLeague final. We have got to go into it where we left off. We are really confident and excited for the challenge ahead.”
*Manchester United will ban any fans found to have been involved in criminal or violent behaviour during protests which forced the postponement of their Premier League match at home to Liverpool.
A number of supporters forced their way into Old Trafford
prior to Sunday’s game as a demonstration against club ownerstheGlazerfamilyescalated into incidents of damage and violence.
Twopoliceofficerswereinjured,withone“attackedwitha bottle and sustaining a significant slash wound to his face, requiring emergency hospital treatment”, while bottles and barriers were thrown outside thegroundaccordingtoGreater Manchester Police.