Ahead of the crucial Champions League last-16 return leg match against RB Leipzig next month, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has joked that he could deploy as many as “nine strikers” in an effort to secure a victory.
The first leg saw the two sides play out a 1-1 draw, with Riyad Mahrez’s opener cancelled out by Josko Gvardiol’s header.
Guardiola attributed the competitive nature of the match to his efforts to control Leipzig’s pace and conceded that his team “could not compete” with their speed – save for Kyle Walker and Erling Haaland.
After the final whistle was blown, the Spanish manager held an impromptu motivational session with his players on the pitch in an attempt to lift their spirits.
Meanwhile, Leipzig manager Marco Rose remains confident heading into second leg at Manchester City but would have preferred for his side to have had a 3-0 advantage “to feel better”.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
