Man City ‘apparently’ not Champions League contenders – Guardiola

Pep Guardiola acknowledged that Manchester City are not considered among the favourites to triumph the Champions League up of their opening crippled against Napoli connected Thursday.

City person regularly reached the crisp extremity of Europe’s apical nine contention successful caller years, winning the trophy for the archetypal clip successful 2023.

They suffered a achy aboriginal exit past season, losing to 15-time champions Madrid successful a two-legged play-off with a spot successful the knockout stages astatine stake.

According to the bookmakers Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are each considered much apt winners of this season’s Champions League.

Guardiola was asked astatine his pre-match property league connected Wednesday whether helium saw City arsenic contenders.

“Apparently, we are not,” helium said. “And (we must) conscionable bask the moment, the journey. We are blessed to beryllium here.

“In the past, we person been. We conscionable won once, truthful that is simply a batch of difficulty. (We are) Just focusing time connected the crippled we person to play, starting this contention well.”

City are intent connected making their people aft finishing past play without a trophy for the archetypal clip successful 8 years.

They started the Premier League play slowly, with 2 defeats successful their archetypal 3 games, but bounced backmost to crush Manchester United 3-0 connected Sunday.

Guardiola has rebuilt his squad implicit the past 2 transportation windows, with a clutch of long-serving players exiting the club, including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ederson.

Thursday’s crippled against the Italian champions volition diagnostic an emotionally charged instrumentality to the Etihad for De Bruyne, who joined Napoli successful June aft a 10-year trophy-laden stint successful Manchester.

Guardiola said helium was looking guardant to seeing the midfielder but lone “after the game”

The City brag said it was nary astonishment that De Bruyne had settled rapidly successful Italy.

“The players successful that level don’t request overmuch clip to accommodate and execute well,” helium said, praising his erstwhile player’s “talent and vision”.

City’s caller goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma besides spoke to reporters connected the eve of the lucifer against Napoli, underlining that the nine had been his apical choice.

The Italy planetary won the Champions League with PSG successful May but was deemed surplus to requirements by the French club, completing a £26-million ($36 million) deadline-day power to City.

“My tendency was to travel here,” said Donnarumma, who has replaced Ederson arsenic first-choice goalkeeper. “That was my archetypal and lone option, the lone happening I wanted.”

AFP

The station Man City ‘apparently’ not Champions League contenders – Guardiola appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.