Pep Guardiola expects to be labeled a “failure” if Manchester City doesn’t attain the semifinals of the Champions League for the fifth straight 12 months since he joined the English membership.
City holds a 2-1 lead over Borussia Dortmund heading into the second leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday, so the workforce has its greatest probability but of reaching the semifinals for the primary time beneath Guardiola.
The Spanish coach hasn’t gained the competitors — and even reached the ultimate — since capturing the second of his titles with Barcelona in 2011, with critics blaming him for overthinking his techniques within the massive knockout matches at not solely City however when in control of Bayern Munich from 2013-16.
“This is a business, and business is business. Business is winning,” stated Guardiola, who was in an animated temper at a information convention on Tuesday. “If we don’t win, I will be a failure. If we win, it will be ‘Oh, how good is Pep.’”
Since Guardiola joined in 2016, City was eradicated by Monaco within the final 16 earlier than dropping within the quarterfinals in three straight seasons, to Liverpool, Tottenham and Lyon.
City was the favourite on every event.
Ilkay Gundogan joined City concurrently Guardiola, and the Germany midfielder believes the workforce’s home dominance in that interval has its drawbacks in terms of taking part in towards harder opponents and with larger strain within the Champions League.
Put merely, City is just not used to having to reply to setbacks.
“We need to learn that it’s normal to struggle,” Gundogan stated. “At this stage, taking part in towards one of the best groups in Europe, it’s regular. Everyone has high quality and it’s additionally regular to concede a objective.
“But maybe it’s something we are not too used to, going behind, conceding or struggling. Because we are used to always dominating the game, having possession … Mistakes are normal. Just trying to deal with it is the only thing that was a little bit missing.”
City confirmed some spine within the first leg, responding to conceding an equalizer by Marco Reus within the 84th minute by scoring a winner within the ninetieth via Phil Foden.
Indeed, Gundogan has a sense this season could possibly be completely different for City due to workforce’s improved stability in protection has led to solely two objectives being conceded in 9 video games to this point this marketing campaign.
“I feel like we are much more stable at the moment, especially defensively. We are defending quite well and I think the more you proceed in the competition, the more important that gets as well,” he stated. “Obviously it gives you a safe feeling when you know that your defensive line is working great, your goalkeeper is great, you are working as a team defensively really well.”
That doesn’t imply City will head to Dortmund seeking to merely defend its lead. Guardiola’s intention, as standard, is to win the sport.
“If you think in this type of game about the consequences, or the goals you have to score or can concede, you forget what you have to do,” Guardiola stated.
Gundogan agreed, including: “For us, the best case is always going into a game feeling we want to win the game. Defending a result I don’t feel it fits us. It’s the way we are as players. It’s not the way we play as a team.”
City remains to be going for an unprecedented quadruple of main trophies this season, having reached the ultimate of the English League Cup, the semifinals of the FA Cup and brought an 11-point lead within the Premier League.
Still, although, regardless of all of the home trophies he has gained at City — two league titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup — Guardiola can’t be positive what his gamers’ psychological state can be on this newest Champions League knockout match.
“Right now, I don’t know. Honestly,” he stated. “About the controlled emotions, whatever happens in the game, the many, many instances, I don’t know. They are human beings. They have feelings.”