PEP GOES STRONG TO AVOID GREEK TRAGEDY

WHAT is unfolding at Real Madrid — bottom of their Champions League group with a single point — has not escaped the attention of Pep Guardiola. It has strengthened his view that, even allowing for the manic schedule, Manchester City cannot afford to take team selection risks in Europe. Tonight is the first of a double-header against Olympiacos, with qualification only two wins away. City hope they can beat the Greek champions twice, progress to the last 16, and then field a team sprinkled with academy prospects — giving some key players a rest heading into the hectic Christmas period. ‘We are in an ideal position,’ said Guardiola. ‘It’s a tricky competition. People don’t believe me. Every game is difficult. People say it’s easy and they predict the teams who go through but anything can happen. ‘People said when we drew Shakhtar Donetsk (last season), “Oh it is easy” and look at what happened with them this year: they win in Madrid and draw with Inter so it is tough.’ City were overwhelming favourites to top a group also including Porto and Marseille and are even more so now. Failure to reach the knockout stages would be unthinkable. But Guardiola is refusing to take anything for granted. ‘Teams are better than 10 years ago, there is more money everywhere, not just in a few clubs. Last season we played Atalanta and people said, “It’s only Atalanta”, but they got close to the semi-finals. ‘It’s not about taking away our responsibility, we have to qualify. But every time we do, I say congratulations to the players — it is the first success of the season.’ City will do that without Sergio Aguero, still missing with a hamstring injury. Guardiola did not rule him out of Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool and expects to have fellow striker Gabriel Jesus available again. While goals have dried up in their absence, Guardiola is pleased with his new centre half duo of Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias, who have conceded just once in three away games. ‘We struggled a lot last season for the problems we had with Vincent Kompany leaving for Belgium and the injury to Aymeric,’ said Guardiola. ‘Now we have new alternatives.’

MANCHESTER CITY won the FA Youth Cup last night, beating Chelsea 3-2 at St George’s Park. Cole Palmer, who last week featured for the first-team against Marseille, scored the winner for City, after James McAtee and Morgan Rogers also netted. It ends a frustrating run for City in the cup — they lost four of the last five finals.