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Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City players are facing the toughest task in European football as they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Guardiola is a two-time winner dating back to his Barcelona tenure a decade ago, but knows the semi-final stage can be particularly unforgiving.
Inter and Chelsea ended Barca’s title defences at the penultimate hurdle in 2010 and 2012, while La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico accounted for Bayern Munich in the semis across Guardiola’s three seasons in Bavaria.
“From my experience, the semi-final is always difficult,” he told a pre-match news conference, having confirmed City have all senior players available with the exception of back-up defender Eric Garcia, who is laid low with a sickness bug.
“You play with the result of the first leg, you play with the mind here [thinking] final, final, final. Sometimes you can forget what you have to do.
“Always in my experience the second leg of the semi-final is the difficult one. The final is completely different, it doesn’t mean it’s easier, it’s completely different.”
Not that Guardiola feels his previous years sampling the highs and lows of the Champions League will have much bearing against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, nor City’s own trials, having finally snapped a run of three consecutive quarter-final exits. (DPA)
Guardiola is a two-time winner dating back to his Barcelona tenure a decade ago, but knows the semi-final stage can be particularly unforgiving.
Inter and Chelsea ended Barca’s title defences at the penultimate hurdle in 2010 and 2012, while La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico accounted for Bayern Munich in the semis across Guardiola’s three seasons in Bavaria.
“From my experience, the semi-final is always difficult,” he told a pre-match news conference, having confirmed City have all senior players available with the exception of back-up defender Eric Garcia, who is laid low with a sickness bug.
“You play with the result of the first leg, you play with the mind here [thinking] final, final, final. Sometimes you can forget what you have to do.
“Always in my experience the second leg of the semi-final is the difficult one. The final is completely different, it doesn’t mean it’s easier, it’s completely different.”
Not that Guardiola feels his previous years sampling the highs and lows of the Champions League will have much bearing against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, nor City’s own trials, having finally snapped a run of three consecutive quarter-final exits. (DPA)
