Four years ago, Pep Guardiola took over as coach at Manchester City. Since then he has won all national titles in England, but City regularly failed in the Champions League. In the quarter-finals against Lyon, the star coach is under great pressure to succeed.
Lisbon (AP) - Ilkay Gündogan does not want to know anything about being a favorite for Manchester City before the Champions League quarter-finals against Olympique Lyon.
"We don't care at all," said the City midfielder before the duel on Saturday (9 p.m. / Sky). "Juventus were also the big favorites," warned the 29-year-old in an interview with the City website, "but Lyon showed them what they can do in two games."
Not only Gündogan with City wants to avoid such a fate. Winning the premier class is at the top of the wish list for the title collectors from Manchester - including Pep Guardiola. For the last time so far, the former Bayern coach won the premier class nine years ago with FC Barcelona. "We have to avoid mistakes, they are punished immediately. The pressure is always there," said the start coach. "Every game is a final."
Due to the coronavirus crisis, a different tournament mode applies - the quarter-finals in Estádio José Alvalade XXI will be decided in just one knockout game. "Lyon will be highly motivated," warned Gündogan. "It's a huge opportunity for them to reach the semi-finals in just 90 minutes. They have nothing to lose." On the other hand, there is a lot at stake for Man City, as the media, fans and even the players agree.
The club needs the Champions League triumph "to reach the next level," says defensive player Kyle Walker. "This is the one (title) I want and I think I can speak for the whole team and for Manchester City," he said on the club's website. City triumphed in Europe only once in the club's history. 50 years ago, in the 1969/70 season, the Citizens won what was then the European Cup Winners' Cup.
City has been collecting trophies and cups on a national level since the wealthy owners from Abu Dhabi used their money to pep up the club into a top team. However, the team repeatedly fails spectacularly on the European football stage. 2017 ended because of the away goals rule in the round of 16 against AS Monaco (5: 3/1: 3). In 2018, the Citizens clearly lost to Liverpool in the quarter-finals (0: 3/1: 2). Most recently, they failed in the quarterfinals against Tottenham Hotspur (0: 1/4: 3) again because of the away goals.
The pressure is increasing every year - especially on City's star coach Guardiola. "He was brought in by the owners with the aim of winning the Champions League, whether he likes it or not," said TV expert Rio Ferdinand, who had triumphed in the premier class with local rivals Manchester United in 2008. "They won the Premier League before Guardiola came. In that respect, he has not achieved anything at City that others have not already achieved."
Last year you could see how much waiting for international success is gnawing at the ambitious top coach. After the narrow end against the Spurs, Guardiola fell stunned to her knees and clapped her hands over her head.
As coach of FC Barcelona, he had won the Champions League twice. The fact that he never succeeded as coach of FC Bayern is considered a flaw in his three-year tenure in Munich. If Guardiola wins with Man City against Lyon on Saturday, one of his two ex-clubs could make life difficult for him in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
"I am not yet thinking of a possible semifinal," assured Gündogan, "and there is really no telling what will happen in the other games." However, the German international is dreaming of another Champions League final. In 2013 he lost the final against Bayern with Borussia Dortmund. "I think back to this season a lot and I'll do my best to get back to the final," he said.
"But you need a bit of luck for that," said Gündogan, "we didn't have that against Spurs last season, for example." After all: Due to the changed tournament mode, Manchester City can at least no longer fail due to away goals this year.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200814-99-168539 / 3
An interview with Ilkay Gündogan
Interview with Kyle Walker
Rio Ferdinand on Guardiola
UEFA match preview