Guardiola: 'One good game is not enough to eliminate Bayern'
"I don't need to warn the players," Guardiola said after the game at the Etihad. "I worked for three years at Bayern and know they are a special team in Europe. To eliminate such teams you need not one, but two good matches."
Guardiola admitted the 3-0 win in the first leg was an incredible result. However, he said, it would be meaningless if Man City did not continue to play well in the second leg at Bayern next week. "I know exactly what to do in the second leg," Guardiola insisted. "If you don't play well, Bayern can score one, two or three goals. We have to play with a big personality."
Guardiola gave the players a day off after the quarter-final first leg. After that, the whole team will prepare for the match against Leicester City in the Premier League and the second leg against Bayern.
Kevin De Bruyne showed signs of knee pain in the second half. Guardiola replaced the Belgian midfielder with Julian Alvarez in the 68th minute. When asked about the substitution, the Man City coach replied: "We need more energy and that's why I decided to substitute. I'm here to make decisions. That's my best quality."
In the quarter-final first leg, Man City excelled with 14 shots. Bayern have only seven times. On that basis, the home team scored three goals in the 27th, 70th and 76th minutes. Rodri opened the scoring with a cross into the top corner, before Bernardo Silva headed and Erling Haaland cushioned the ball to score the remaining two goals.
The goal against Bayern was Haaland's 11th goal in the Champions League this season. The 22-year-old striker continues to lead the top scorer race, three goals ahead of Mohamed Salah and five goals.
If they beat Bayern, Man City will enter the semi-finals to meet the winner of the Real - Chelsea pair.
In the Premier League, Man City is ranked second with 67 points. Pep Guardiola's teachers and students are six points behind Arsenal, but played one game less and still had a direct confrontation. They need to beat Leicester in the match on April 15 to continue their hopes of defending the championship.
