Bayern trip not for defensive football, says Pep Guardiola

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By Martin Graham | 20th Apr 2023

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hinted that his side will attack Bayern Munich with all they have when they face the German Bundesliga champions in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter final match on Wednesday.

City will go into the tie with a 3 – 0 aggregate win thanks to goals scored by Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland. It was a special win for the Cityzens’ striker Haaland, especially.

The Norwegian faced Bayern seven times with Borussia Dortmund but was unable to win or draw a single game against the Bavarians. In those seven games, however, he scored five goals and provided two assists, which showed his quality. City gave him a win against one of the sides he most wanted to beat and the return leg will be a big opportunity for him to bury them.

The same sentiments were echoed by his manager, who stated plainly that they were going to the Alliance Arena to attack and win, not sit back and soak up pressure.

As a former Bayern manager, Guardiola is weel aware of the capabilities of the German side. He understands that they remain a clear danger in the Champions League and intends to put his best attacking team forward when City take to the grounds of the Alliance Arena on Wednesday.

“Our mindset is to prepare for the game, watching the first leg and seeing things we can do better,” said Pep. “We were focused a lot on what we have to do to try to not just control the game but punish them and try to score – of course we come to win the game.

“I don’t understand the logic to come here and defend; we come here to play a football game, 11 v 11 and do better than the opponent in this specific game.

“If you think about the result or the past it’s a mistake. We have to do our game and we prepare the game in that way.

“We’re going to defend for sure. It happened in Manchester; part of the game they were better, and we defended, and we will tomorrow.

“For us it’s an opportunity, if we play a game competing on history, we can’t play.

“You see the trophy cabinet in Europe and the amount of these type of games, it’s a lot, we are few.

“This is an opponent to prove ourselves – against one of the best in Europe and we’ll try to impose our game.

“We’ll try to do as much time as possible and have the game on our side, but the mindset is to try and win the game.

“It’s what you have to do in the game, focus and every single action what you have to do to get the best result and reach the semi-final.”

Guardiola was also asked about his comments from a few years ago comparing City’s and Bayern’s achievements to a teenager and an elder. The Spaniard kept his comments focused on the game, stating that they were not playing against history, but against the present.