UEFA Champions League: Guardiola admits overthinking ahead Atletico visit
With so much at stake, Guardiola would be forgiven for feeling a little tense, but that was certainly not the case on Tuesday
If they play at their best in the doubleheaders against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, City will be well on their way to securing a Treble that has been achieved only once before, in 1999, when Manchester United swept all before them.
Should City slip up, however, Pep Guardiola will be facing the prospect of ending the campaign without any silverware — a scenario that has played out only once during this golden era for the club.
With so much at stake, Guardiola would be forgiven for feeling a little tense, but that was certainly not the case on Tuesday.
The 51-year-old Catalan was instead in a playful mood before Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico.
Rather than take offence at a mischievous yet fair question about his apparent tendency to overcomplicate his tactical approach to knockout games, Guardiola laughed off the suggestion.
“I overthink a lot,” Guardiola said, his tongue pressed firmly against his cheek. “It’s absolutely [fair]. My job would be boring if I had to win the same way all the time. I love to overthink with stupid tactics, and if I don’t win I look stupid.
“I will take inspiration and do incredible tactics. We’ll play with 12 [players].”
Some of Guardiola’s left-field selections in the Champions League have not worked, such as the deployment of Ilkay Gundogan on the right-wing in the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool four years ago and the decision to play without a holding midfielder in last year’s final.
In fairness to Guardiola, some tactical tweaks have worked, such as the switch to 4-4-2 in the away win over Real Madrid two years ago, and his decision to play on the counterattack in the quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain last season.
Bernardo Silva said Guardiola had devised a plan to get past Atletico over the two matches — the second leg is next Wednesday in Madrid — although the Catalan humorously suggested otherwise.
“It surprised me a lot that Bernardo said we have a plan because we didn’t speak about it,” Guardiola said with a smile.
After being eliminated in the quarter-finals for three consecutive seasons, City looked to be heading out of the competition at the same juncture last year. City were 35 minutes away from losing to Borussia Dortmund on away goals but they scored twice in the second half to advance.
In the following round, City went behind against PSG, but then hit back, winning 4-1 on aggregate. Perhaps it is because they have overcome such setbacks that Guardiola and his players are so Zen this time around.
“The team is much better prepared for these moments than it was five years ago,” Silva, 27, said. “We know what to do in the good or bad moments. It comes with experience.”
Silva said he was not expecting an “open game” against the Spanish champions, who eliminated United in the previous round.
Atletico are a compact team with a fierce work ethic. John Stones and Aymeric Laporte will be pressed ferociously by Atletico’s strikers, João Félix and Antoine Griezmann.
That City have scored more than twice as many goals as Atletico in the Champions League this season proves that Diego Simeone’s side are not as attack-minded as their opponents.
The onus will fall on City’s wingers, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, to prevent Atletico’s wing-backs from receiving the ball from Jan Oblak, the goalkeeper, or the opposition’s centre backs, who sometimes lack the composure to play out from the back.
The absence of the Uruguay defender José María Giménez is a blow for Simeone, whose side have won their past six games, but City have absentees too. Rúben Dias will miss tonight’s match and Sunday’s top-of-the-table meeting with Liverpool with a hamstring injury, while Kyle Walker is suspended.
