Pep Guardiola has called for “something special” from his Manchester City side to save their Champions League campaign.
City, the 2023 winners, have slipped outside the top 24 in the league phase after winning just two of their first seven matches and must now beat Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to stay in the competition.
“The situation that we have is that we have to win the game and if not we will not continue in this competition,” said City manager Guardiola. “But it’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we will face it.
“We would like to score a lot in the first 20 minutes but I don’t think it is going to happen. The approach is to read the game we have to play – be completely relaxed, no emotions and understand the game.
“I know these type of games you have to put in something special – something there has not been enough of so far in this Champions League – to win the games.”
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City find themselves in this predicament after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain last week.
Although they are two points outside the play-off positions, their task is at least straightforward because Club Brugge are one of the teams above them that they can catch.
Victory, therefore, would be enough to snatch a play-off spot and Guardiola, also a two-time winning coach with Barcelona, is used to dealing with such pressures.
He said: “I’ve been many years in the Champions League since I started my career as a manager, and these type of games I’ve played many times.
“Sooner or later you have to play these type of games where if you win you go through and if you don’t you go out.
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“It’s happened more in the further stages but we are here for the reasons we know, that we have not been good enough, but this is a situation we have lived many times.”
Guardiola is refusing to contemplate the prospect of defeat.
He added: “It would not be good [to lose] but I’m not thinking about that right now.”
Asked if it would be embarrassing, he said: “Ask me the question after. I know you want it!
“Thank you for your concern again. I know how worried you are if we are out. After the game you can ask me and I will answer you.”
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‘It’s a final for both sides’
The stakes are also high for Club Brugge, who come into the game on the back of a 20-game unbeaten run.
Guardiola said: “It’s a final for both of us. I expect a tough opponent. When a team is 20-21 games unbeaten it is because they are good. There are no secrets about that.
“They do it really well – different variations in the build-up, a man-marking situation, it is always uncomfortable.
“We have to do it well but in every team, Manchester City included, there are weaknesses. You have to try to discover all of them and try to punish them.”
Gvardiol’s warning for City team-mates
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City are without defenders Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias but are hopeful John Stones, who has not started for a month, will be fit after appearing off the bench against Chelsea on Saturday.
Defender Josko Gvardiol has warned his team-mates not to expect an easy ride against Club Brugge.
“I can tell you they are a good team”, he said. “It’s not going to be easy. I faced them three years ago with RB Leipzig and they were really good.
“They play with the wide wingers to let them play one v one so I think it is going to be a good game, we need the points, we need to win and we are going to do everything to win the game.”
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