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Manchester City seem to have reacted well to their shocking defeat against Manchester United a week ago. The Citizens were on a 21-game winning streak before they faced their city rivals.
What was expected to be a routine win and a continuation of their juggernaut turned out to be a disappointing loss as the Red Devils secured a 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side has continued right from where they left off. While most teams would have collapsed after such a blip, Manchester City are back in the business of winning.
Since losing to Manchester United, the Cityzens have beaten both Southampton and Fulham, scoring eight goals in the process.
Surely this is the kind of monstrous form they’ll be carrying into Tuesday’s Champions League game against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Manchester City aim to make statement in Europe
Guardiola’s side already have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after recording a 2-0 win against the German side in the first-leg.
Having been so dominant in the Premier League this season, Manchester City now have the opportunity to announce themselves in Europe. A huge win against Monchengladbach would be a statement to their continental rivals.
As it stands, Bayern Munich and PSG are the favorites to win Europe’s most prestigious inter-club competition, but Manchester City are not far off.
“They [my players] have to handle the pressure – to play in this team, at this club, in this organisation, they have to know it’s not nice to lose a game,” Guardiola said ahead of the game, as quoted by the Guardian.
“We have to win and win, that’s for sure. I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the season. What we have to do, like we have done since day one, is think about the game we are going to play against Borussia Mönchengladbach. That’s the only thing I’m concerned about.”
Manchester City’s best performance in the Champions League remains a semi-final berth achieved under Manuel Pellegrini, but the team is currently in better shape to go all the way.
Guardiola’s personal Champions League motivation
Everything about the Champions League points to a double motivation for Guardiola. The Spaniard won the competition twice with Barcelona but is yet to taste European glory at any other club.
To this end, his pedigree has been questioned by some quarters, with some also wondering if he can ever win the Champions League elsewhere. Unfortunately, Guardiola’s record in Europe at Bayern Munich and currently at Manchester City hasn’t helped that much.
But for the first time in many years, he boasts a squad that is capable of conquering Europe. This is a team that has played together for over three years and has built a winning mentality.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Cityzens winning the quadruple but the Champions League is still the holy grail for Guardiola and his charges. They’ve yearned for it for so long and winning it will be the ultimate reward for all the years of hard work.
This is a trophy that has evaded Guardiola for so long that it’s now a personal challenge and motivation for him to win it. However, only time will tell if that motivation will be enough to see Manchester City go all the way.
