Pep Guardiola, the coach of Manchester City, acknowledged that he overthinks and comes up with ridiculous strategies in the Champions League, but he wouldn’t have it any other way as he sets for the first leg of the quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday (April 5).
Guardiola, a two-time champion as a manager with Barcelona, has not won the cup in 11 years, and his clubs have frequently failed in the knockout rounds due to unanticipated tactical adjustments and team selections that have prompted his strategy to collapse.
Guardiola while speaking to reporters earlier today, the renowned coach said “In the Champions League I always overthink – new tactics, tomorrow you will see a new one. I overthink a lot, that’s why I have very good results in the Champions League. It would be boring if I always played the same way. If people think I play the same against Atletico and Liverpool, I don’t like it.”
He continued by adding “The movements are different, the players are all different with different personalities. That’s why I overthink and create stupid tactics. Tonight I take inspiration and I’m going to (come up with) incredible tactics tomorrow.
Manchester City will encounter an Atletico Madrid side that ousted Manchester United in the preceding stage, and Guardiola reckons there is a “misapprehension” about how Diego Simeone’s sides are built up, stressing that they are not as defensive as they appear.
“It’s more offensive than people believe, he doesn’t want to take a risk in the build-up but they have quality in the final third. When the ball is in our half, how competitive they are, depends on the position and movement – they know exactly how to play. In the moments of the game, these situations, they are really good.”
Bernardo Silva, a City midfielder, backed his manager’s remarks and commended the Spanish champion’s on-field organization.
According to Silva, he promulgated “We don’t know what to expect if they press high or go low and wait for us. We know they will be aggressive, not give us space. It will be tight, it won’t be an open game. They are very competitive, and organized, with a specific style of play. It wasn’t easy for United (in the last-16) and Liverpool two years ago. It won’t be easy for us, but if we follow Pep’s plan, it will work out.”
