Pep Guardiola played his eleventh competitive game against Thomas Tuchel and won 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the first round of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Manchester City put one foot in the Champions League semi-finals with a humiliating first-leg win over Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola’s side took the lead in the first half thanks to Rodri’s curling shot from a distance before Bernardo Silva headed in a second after the break and Erling Haaland completed the scoring.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City from 2013 to 2016, said he understands Bayern Munich’s mentality well enough to know there will be no room for complacency in the return leg.
When asked about a ‘comfortable’ win, Man City boss Pep Guardiola wasn’t getting carried away with the result to ensure his team wouldn’t be complacent.
In a post-match interview with BT Sports, Pep heaped praise on his opponents and recalled his spell with the Bundesliga outfit, in which he highlighted their talents when they play in the return fixture at the Allianz Arena.
Guardiola told BT Sport, “When you are there, you realise how good Bayern Munich are as a team; it was a tight game for 60 minutes. In a lot of moments, they were better than us, but after 65 minutes, we got the second goal, and that helped us a lot. We made some changes, and our pressing was more effective.”
Guardiola recalled his time in Munich and predicted how hectic the return match will be, particularly the players’ mentality when playing at home in a Champions League game.
He added, “I know exactly what we have to do there. If we do not perform well, they can score one, two, or three. I know that, and the players know it. I have been there; you have not been there. I have been there for three years. I know what it means for the people; we are going there to score goals and try to win the game. If not, it will be so difficult.”
