Pep Guardiola will not be offered on the brand new Champions League format after Manchester Metropolis narrowly scraped by to the play-offs, however he believes the expertise has been an “unimaginable lesson”.
Metropolis needed to come from behind in Wednesday’s must-win conflict with Membership Brugge on the Etihad Stadium, as Raphael Onyedika’s strike put them on the point of a humiliating exit.
Mateo Kovacic and Savinho scored both aspect of a Joel Ordonez personal aim within the second half, although, as Metropolis progressed to the Champions League’s knockout rounds for a twelfth successive season.
Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are the one different groups to realize that feat in each marketing campaign since 2013-14.
However Metropolis completed an underwhelming twenty second within the new-look, 36-team desk, behind the likes of Celtic, Feyenoord, Brest, PSV and Lille.
“I might say I don’t prefer it, as a result of we endure loads,” stated Guardiola of the brand new format, after Metropolis completed with three wins and two attracts from eight matches.
“We had been on the perch, 45 minutes to be out. It’s an unimaginable lesson for me and the gamers that nothing is with no consideration.”
Metropolis will face both Bayern or Madrid in a heavyweight play-off tie, with the draw to be made in Switzerland on Friday.
Whereas Metropolis’s kind this season doesn’t bode properly for a gathering with a kind of sides, Guardiola will not less than have reinforcements out there.
New signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis weren’t eligible to play within the league section however will probably be eligible for Metropolis’s play-off tie, whereas they may also hope to recuperate a choice of injured gamers.
“In two weeks we will probably be higher,” Guardiola stated. “Gamers will come again, we’ve new signings.”
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti stated he would favor to keep away from a gathering with Metropolis after Los Blancos beat Brest 3-0, however Guardiola was cautious relating to Metropolis’s possibilities.
“I don’t know if they’re joyful to play in opposition to us, it’s what it’s. One is the king of the competitors, the opposite is the second or third king,” Guardiola stated of Madrid, who’ve 15 European titles and Bayern, who’ve six.
“We play this competitors with a thousand million issues. They’re favourites, sure, they’re higher than us proper now.”
Commenting on Metropolis’s fightback, Guardiola stated: “The primary half was so educational, we missed a spark, Savinho helped us. He modified the sport, after 5 minutes created two or three corners.
“Generally you’re profitable 2-0 or 3-0, you’re scared to lose. You might be 1-0 down, out of the Champions League, and in the appropriate moments we discovered the targets.”
Brugge additionally snuck into the play-offs regardless of their loss, ending twenty fourth on aim distinction as Stuttgart dropped out.
They are going to face both Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund within the subsequent spherical.
