Pep Guardiola reveals tactical change before Real Madrid second leg
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has announced that he intends to make an unconventional move in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
In the previous leg, City didn’t perform at their peak, but they managed to secure a 1-1 draw thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s disputed goal that nullified Vinicius Junior’s splendid opener.
Guardiola hinted at implementing a tactical change for the upcoming match, which will determine their chance to face Serie A giants Inter in the final. However, he reassured City fans that he is not excessively pondering the situation.
“I have an idea to do something differently, just to be more fluid in attack,” he told his pre-match press conference.
He added: “It’s nothing special. I’m not overthinking tomorrow, don’t worry guys. Nothing different to what we have done in the past.”
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, admitted that his team cannot solely concentrate on containing Erling Haaland, the striker for Manchester City, due to the formidable attacking prowess possessed by the rest of City’s squad.
Ancelotti recognized the danger posed by Haaland but emphasized the need to address the overall offensive threat that City poses.
“We value a team, it’s everyone, not just one player,” he explained.
“We don’t think only of Haaland…but [Kevin] De Bruyne? And [Ilkay] Gundogan? And [Riyad] Mahrez? It’s difficult.”
Ancelotti continued: “Courage and personality will be very important, because the pressure will be very high. They have to have the personality it takes to show off their quality. This aspect, if you don’t have control, your quality diminishes.
“I want a team that reads the game well, that knows that there will be stretches of suffering, which is normal in a game like this. And then bite when the opponent is in difficulty.”
Pep Guardiola reveals tactical change before Real Madrid second leg
