Pep Guardiola mocked claims that he overthinks European knockout games by announcing that Manchester City will field a 12-man lineup against Atletico Madrid.
After losing last season's final to Chelsea, City are looking for their first Champions League title. Guardiola left out the club's preferred holding midfielders for that match.
In a quarter-final loss to Lyon in 2020, the Catalan also chose to play three at the back, and he responded to his detractors ahead of his match against Diego Simeone at the Etihad Stadium.
'I always overthink in the Champions League.' I have a tendency to overthink things. 'Indeed,' Guardiola stated. 'It's because of this that I've had such wonderful results.' I enjoy overthinking and devising ridiculous strategies. I'm getting inspired tonight, and there will be some fantastic strategies tomorrow. We'll use 12 as a starting point.' Guardiola has maintained a laid-back demeanor since returning from the international break, despite the fact that City is still fighting on three fronts. He dismissed the idea that Atletico will arrive in Manchester content to defend for the whole of the first game. 'There is a misperception about the way he [Simeone] performed when watching Atletico,' Guardiola remarked. 'He offends people more than they think. They don't want to take chances, but when the ball is in our half, they know exactly how to play in certain situations.
'I'm not going to talk about pointless debates for a single second.' Everyone is attempting to achieve victory. He'll be correct if they win. I will be proven correct if we win.
'Don't leave any room for anything.' Give no quarter. They wish to stay away from risky situations in the city as a group. They're abrasive to the point of being dangerous. They play after winning the ball. The Spanish league champions. La Liga Espanola. This league has reigned supreme [in Europe] for the past 20 years.'
After learning from previous blunders in close knockout matches, Bernardo Silva believes City is better ready to routinely navigate their way to the spectacular.
He remarked, "The team I see now is well equipped for these occasions." 'We used to be a terrific squad, but we're lot better prepared now than we were five years ago.'
'Definitely a step forward, and it comes with practice.' We've all had our share of disappointments. We have a greater understanding of each other. We know exactly what we need to do at every stage of the game. When we concede, we know what to do.'
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