Guardiola doesn’t know how to halt Messi ahead of Barcelona reunion
PEP GUARDIOLA may know
Lionel Messi better than most but he insists there is no magic formula to stopping Barcelona’s talisman.
The Manchester City coach returns to the Nou Camp tonight, having won 14 major trophies during his time in charge there between 2008 and 2012.
Messi, who once claimed the pair had a “fantastic relationship” during that period, marked his return to action following a groin injury with a goal in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Deportivo La Coruna.
When asked about Messi ahead of tonight’s Champions League Group C encounter, Guardiola said: “I don’t know what instructions I can give the players to control the talent. Ninety
NNoticeably, Pochettino (left) was in a tense mood while conductinging his post-match duties.
He took great exception to one questionque over whether defender KevinKev Wimmer’s future at the clubclu was in jeopardy, given he did not even make the substituA tutes’ bench despite Toby Alderweireld being absent due to a knee injury.
The sight of Danny Rose minutes is a long time. They will have a moment and they are so precise. They don’t need to create a lot of chances to score a goal. It is a good test for us, to know our level against — for me — the best team.”
Barcelona have won all of their previous 12 home matches and they took maximum points from their opening two group stage games this term, beating Celtic 7-0 and Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1.
City have had a player sent off in three of their four previous meetings against Barcelona — all of which they have lost — and one of those shown a red, Pablo Zabaleta, has warned his team-mates there will be no margin for error tonight.
He said: “You need to perform at
Nov 2 v B Leverkusen (H), Nov 22 v Monaco (A), Dec 7 v CSKA (H) the same level [as Barcelona] — you cannot make mistakes and you must take opportunities.
“You need a perfect game to beat Barcelona, that is the key. You don’t win here easily. There will be moments you will suffer — hopefully not too much.”
Guardiola refuted suggestions he attempted to sign Messi for City during the summer but left the door open for a possible move one day in the future.
“I didn’t call anybody [at Barcelona],” he said. “In the case of Leo I really wish him to play here and finish his career here — play here for a long time.
“But maybe he will think, ‘Okay I want to go play somewhere else’ because maybe he wants his kids to speak English or live a different experience, like happened to many of us.
“Maybe it could happen but if he decides to go and it happens, there would be a list of seven or eight clubs that would want to sign him and it would be down to him. Messi will decide where to go.”
Former Barcelona players
Claudio Bravo and Nolito are in Guardiola’s 21-man squad for tonight’s showdown.
Kevin de Bruyne is fit again and set to start, while club captain Vincent Kompany came off the substitutes’ bench in the 1-1 draw against Everton at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday to make his second appearance of the season.