Home game with Barcelona is a ‘final’, says Manchester City boss
After five defeats in five games in the Champions League against Barcelona, and a tally of four red cards, Pep Guardiola insisted that Manchester City can make a difference in their latest Champions League encounter against the Catalan club.
While City look set to be without both senior right-backs, they will be facing a Barcelona side without a trio of injured defenders Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, and Jeremy Mathieu.
They will be also missing the experienced midfield schemer Andres Iniesta who sustained a knee injury recently.
Guardiola said: “Every manager has his plans to beat the opponent. We know them and I think they know us.
“I hope our quality can make the difference. For them it’s not a final, for us it’s a final and we have to play it like a final.
“It’s a short competition – there’s three games left and we dropped two points in Glasgow and we must recover those points in the next three games.”
Admitting that it was nearly impossible to play against Barca with just ten men, Guardiola said he had spoken with Nolito after replays showed he could have been sent off again for a rash clash of heads in the game against West Brom last Saturday.
Guardiola decided to make it public on Saturday after the West Brom win that Aguero would start in City’s sixth Champions League game against Barcelona.
The Spaniard backed his striker to continue the good form he showed against the Baggies and said: “We will help Aguero achieve his huge qualities. I know his qualities and his mentality.”
While Guardiola, who denied that Barca striker Luis Suarez is the man who he wanted Sergio Aguero to emulate, has made it clear that the Argentine frontman would start tomorrow, the position of right back is less clear.
Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna have been ruled out with injury in recent games and Pablo Maffeo and Fernando have filled in at right back after Guardiola appeared to dispense with his three-man back line in the games against Manchester United and West Brom.
When asked what his solution for the right-back berth was going to be against Barcelona, Guardiola replied: “I have an idea how we are going to play. Sometimes it works, sometimes not but I have an idea.”
Regular City first choice keeper Claudio Bravo is suspended for the tie and will probably be replaced by Willy Caballero.