Guardiola Insists City Face 11 Players Not Bayern History

Pep Guardiola insisted yesterday that Manchester City will face “11 players, not the history” of Bayern Munich in today’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg.

The teams will meet at 8pm at the Allianz Arena with City holding a three-goal advantage from the first leg.

But Guardiola said Bayern, who have won the trophy six times, will still be a threat on home soil.

“We don’t play against what they achieved, but having something like that is something special,” he said.

City have yet to win the Champions League, having lost the 2021 final to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea and were beaten in last season’s semi-finals by an incredible Real Madrid comeback.

“It’s nice to travel around and play these types of opponents, it’s nice to be here and try to make an incredible achievement and reach the semi-final again,” added Guardiola.

The Spaniard, who managed Bayern for three years before taking charge of City in 2016 and leading them to four Premier League titles, wants his side to further “punish” Bayern after their outstanding first-leg performance in Manchester.

“We must focus on what we have to do to control the game, punish them, come here to win the game in Munich against one of the most historic teams in the competition,” he warned ahead of the all important clash for City who are pursuing a treble of titles this term.