Pep Guardiola explains why he omited Rodri in Man City Champions League final defeat to Chelsea
Pep Guardiola has admitted that he would consider choosing a different starting lineup if he had the opportunity to go back and replay Manchester City’s loss to Chelsea in the Champions League final.
As City gears up for their second appearance in the pinnacle of European club football, facing Inter in this year’s final in Istanbul, they have already secured the Premier League title and FA Cup, and winning against the Italian giants would complete a historic treble.
However, Chelsea, who were also the favorites two years ago, ended up winning the trophy with a surprising 1-0 victory courtesy of Kai Havertz’s goal, leaving City empty-handed in Porto.
Guardiola faced criticism for his team selection in the aftermath of the Champions League final. He chose not to field his preferred defensive midfielders, Rodri and Fernandinho, and instead opted to play Ilkay Gundogan in the holding position. This decision was widely seen as a factor contributing to City’s defeat.
As City prepares for another shot at the final, Guardiola maintains a strong stance regarding the narrow margins of the game. However, he suggested that his selection for the previous final may have been a mistake, hinting at a potential reconsideration if given the chance to relive the match.
“It was a gameplan like it will be on Saturday,” he said. “If I tell you privately the reason why I took the decision in that moment you could say it was right but it is simple: If I lose, I am wrong, if I win I am right. You have to accept that in this business.
“It was a tight game and in many things we were better than them but we lost. Would I do something different now? Maybe, but that doesn’t count.”
When asked is anything different in City’s mood this time around compared to 2021, Guardiola replied: “One week ago we won the FA Cup. In that moment (2021) we were just preparing a final, we’d lost two times against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea and had some doubts.
“It is not the same but they play five in the back, Chelsea and Inter, the approach was defensive too but of course Chelsea also had incredibly good patterns to punish us. It is not similar but there are some things. Hopefully we can attack a little bit better.”
Pep Guardiola explains why he omited Rodri in Man City Champions League final defeat to Chelsea
