The manager of Manchester City Pep Guardiola has stressed that he does not see City as the favorites to win this season’s UEFA Champions League due to the form of Bayern Munich.
The Spanish tactician who has been the coach of Manchester City for over four years said though he doesn’t think City are favorites for the European title, yet, he would accept the tag.
Manchester City are one of the top European clubs that are yet to win the Prestigious UEFA Champions League title. The club has been investing heavily to actualize the dream of winning the title but they are yet to even play in the final of the competition.
In the last three seasons under Pep Guardiola, the best stage they have gotten to is the quarter-final stage and they have gotten to the semi-final stage once in the club’s history.
The billions of pounds the club spent on recruiting players have only earned them domestic dominance. They have won two Premier League titles in the last three seasons. They are currently topping the Premier League table this season with a 10-point gap from the second-placed Manchester United.
Hence, Pep Guardiola’s focus is more on the Premier League as he said he is thinking more about Manchester City’s Premier League game against West Ham United on Saturday, February 27, than how this season’s Champions League campaign might end.
“When I see Bayern Munich I don’t think we are favorites,” Guardiola said. “My target is West Ham in three days.
“If people say we are favorites we have to accept it, but a team who in their whole history has been a semi-final once? OK, they say it, we have to accept it.”
Bayern Munich and Manchester City are two clubs that look more like a club that will go all the way in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign. The two European clubs are topping their domestic leagues and they look unbeatable in the Champions League.
On February 23, 2021, Bayern Munich met with Lazio in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, and the German side defeated the Italian side 4-1 which means that their quest to move to the next round of the competition is almost guaranteed.
As for Manchester City, they met with Borussia Monchengladbach in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League, and the Premier League club defeated the German side 2-0.
Despite the 2-0 defeat which marked City’s 19th successive victory, Pep Guardiola came out to lament that his team was not clinical enough.
12 successive away wins ✅
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 25, 2021
19 consecutive victories ✅
26 games unbeaten ✅
Watch the highlights of our #UCL win over Borussia Monchengladbach! 🎥
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re
The Spanish tactician who has coached FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich noted that it takes a perfect team to go far in the Champions League.
“In general, we controlled the game. Unfortunately, we were not clinical enough upfront,” Guardiola told BT Sport.
“That is something we have to improve in this competition. Up front, we have to be more clinical. In this competition, you have to be perfect to make sure you go through.”
Manchester City will play the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Borussia Monchengladbach on 16 March 2021, at 21:00. While Bayern Munich will play their second leg of the round of 16 on 17 March 2021, at 21:00.
