Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has openly admitted his desire for the team to avoid a face-off with Barcelona in this season’s Champions League. The reason behind this preference is not due to fear of competition but rather stems from sentimental reasons. As a former coach and player for Barcelona, it seems that Guardiola would prefer not to compete against his old club.
Last season saw Manchester City being eliminated by Real Madrid during the quarter-finals of the Champions League. However, they have bounced back strongly at the start of their new campaign in Europe. Their performance so far includes a draw against Inter and an impressive 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava earlier this month.
The Premier League champions are set to play several more European fixtures before the competition splits. These include matches against Sparta Prague, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Club Bruges.
Barcelona’s track record this season
On the other hand, Barcelona had a shaky start with a loss against Monaco in their opening match of this season's Champions League. However, they quickly regained momentum with an emphatic 5-0 win at home against Young Boys.
Guardiola expressed his sentiments during an appearance on Italian chat show Che Tempo Che Fa on Sunday evening when asked about which team he wanted Manchester City to avoid in this year’s tournament.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, said:
‘Good question. Barcelona maybe,’
‘The affection I have for them destroys me. I was born in a small town nearby, it’s never easy to play against them.’
Thoughts on new Champions League format
While discussing his preferences for avoiding certain teams in the tournament like Barcelona due to sentimental reasons was interesting enough; unfortunately we didn't get any insights into how he felt about the new format of Champions League as it was left unaddressed during his interview session.
Pep Guardiola added:
‘I don’t understand, I just coach. I think we’ll be able to answer this question only at the end of the season.’
The Champions League continues to be a thrilling competition for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike. As we move further into the season, it will be interesting to see how these preferences and performances play out.
