There has been no better Guardiola’s Manchester City than the one facing the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday. The sky blue they are more favorites than ever, lush in their squad that has absolutely automated the idea of the coach. His footballers arrive drenched, with successes and failures, for his last obstacle: Simeone’s Atletico.
At such a point of maturity is Guardiola’s project in Manchester that the Catalan dared to joke in the previous one about one of the great stigmas he has hovered over his European defeats. Pep has been accused of losing qualifiers to “overthink” to give too much spin to his approach. To be “Too smart” as defined by Rory Smith of the New York Times.
“Tomorrow, another chapter. I always think a lot of things, I know. That’s why I have good records in the Champions League. It would be boring if I always did the same thing, “said Guardiola. “I love to turn it around and come up with stupid tactics. Tonight I will wait for inspiration to come to me, to see if I do any amazing tactics. Maybe we play with 12 men.
The last precedent between technicians has set the previous one: one Bayern Munich – Athletic which ended with the Bavarians being knocked out in the semi-finals despite kicking 33 times against Oblak in the return match. The mattresses with 7 were enough to pass, posing a clash of styles and stories from which Guardiola has not only wanted to escape, but has dismantled myths with the Cholo.
“I think there is one wrong idea on the Athletic. They are more offensive than many people think. They may not want to take any risks in the ball out, but Atlético does not close. Maybe I’m wrong and you know them better. At best, if you manage to get it right, you can close them, but they can sting you. ”
The pleasure of pressure
It was not by attempts at the press conference that Santpedor came in to assess the clash of styles. He knocked them all down: “I won’t talk about them for a second stupid style debates. Everyone tries to win in their own way. If he wins in one way, he will be right, and vice versa.
It may be the way to dodge all the bullets of an Atlético who has never been irritated by the role of victim. It was clear in Manchester that they did not want to give it to him. Probably because from the moment they forgot about labels and pressures, Guardiola’s City broke down all their complexes in Europe. “Pressure? Yes, but we love it. It’s a pleasure to be here, it means we’re doing pretty well. ” Today, next assault.
