BIG GUNS RETURN FOR CRUNCH CLASH
BERLIN – Pep Guardiola admits feeling the pressure ahead of Bayern Munich’s crunch Champions League last-16 second leg against last year’s finalists Juventus tomorrow in his swansong season in Bavaria.
Guardiola has won five titles so far in three seasons with Bayern and is on course for the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles.
But he is under pressure to win the one title that has so far eluded him in Munich – the Champions League.
After it was announced last month that Guardiola will coach Manchester City next season, there is extra pressure on the Spaniard to cap his three seasons with the European crown.
In each of his two previous Champions League campaigns with Munich, Bayern exited at the semifinal stage, coming up short against Real Madrid then Barcelona.
Bayern threw away a two-goal lead three weeks ago against Juventus when the first leg finished 2-2 in Turin.
Guardiola admits he has given some thought as to whether tomorrow ’ s return at the Allianz Arena could be his last Champions League game with Munich.
“Maybe it will be,” he said before correcting himself.
“Normally, I’m a positive thinker. Never in my life have I thought this is the last game. Why [would I]?”
Bayern warmed up for the visit of the Italian champions with a 5-0 trouncing of Werder Bremen on Saturday with Thomas Mueller and Thiago Alcantara both netting twice.
Guardiola expects to be hit on the break by Juventus and he took pleasure from watching his side snuff out each of Bremen’s counterattacks.
“It’s the hardest thing in football to attack [with] 10 players and then prevent any counters,” said the Spaniard.
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben was left out of the squad against Bremen. Robert Lewandowski, who has scored 34 goals this season, played only the last 16 minutes. –