Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted that winning UEFA Champions League was quite easy in the past but it’s not anymore. City had to settle for a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig in the first leg of the Round-of-16 round in Germany.
Riyad Mahrez gave a lead to Manchester City in the first half but the home team bounced back as Joska Gvardiol scored through a header in the second half.
In fact, Pep Guardiola is still searching for his first Champions League title with Manchester City and the club has come agonizingly close on a few occasions.
Pep Guardiola said as quoted by Sky Sports: “This is the Champions League, big clubs are in the Europa League right now. It’s so demanding now, before it was quite easy, but today all the teams are really strong and well prepared with good managers.
The Spaniard added he wasn’t expecting his team to win by a huge margin as he knew that the opposition also has quality players.
“My expectations are not high. I didn’t come here thinking we’d win 0-4, not for one second I thought about that. The game we played needed control. It’s two legs over 180 minutes and I don’t want to lose 4-3 here. So, the game will be open in Manchester. It is what it is.”
The gaffer revealed he motivated his players as their shoulders were dropping after the game.
He said: “Heads were down. I said ‘why are your heads down – have your heads up’ – it was really good the game we played.
“If people don’t like it, it doesn’t matter, you played the way you should play. You could play a little bit more to Erling (Haaland) but it’s going to happen because when you use these types of action you lose the ball and they run. You have to have control.”
Manchester City will next face Bournemouth on Saturday.
