“He will be hard to stop, I know that from experience”, said City striker Sergio Aguero, Messi’s worldwide teammate with Argentina. I called ter Stegen because he wasn’t happy not playing, but he made a decision to stay and later we spoke with Bravo.
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One thing is for certain, Pep Guardiola won’t be going to the Nou Camp to play for a draw. When there were doubts and Madrid were involved, I called him to try and sign him for Bayern.
Former Barca captain Guardiola, the Catalan club’s most decorated coach with 14 trophies in a scintillating four-year spell, is set for his latest emotional return to the Nou Camp. “Then his dad called me in NY to see about Bayern, but I said go to Barca”.
BARCELONA – Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said he would not be surprised if Manchester City tried to sign Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez this past summer. I think it’s because they’re good.
“I know it’s normal that, when a team goes into the Champions League for the first time, the concentration is very high in Europe”.
“But it will be down to Messi where he wants to go”.
Tonight sees the return of Pep Guardiola to his old stomping ground and an attempt to overturn a run of three games without a victory.
He said: “I came back with Bayern but it’s always special for me to sit here”.
“So I spent most of my life there. They have probably four or five of the best players in the world in different positions”, he added.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 15: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City gives his team instructions during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Manchester, England.
“You can see in City since pre-season the hand of Pep”.
Brendan Rodgers knows that if the 1967 Champions are to escape from this group with the respect of their own fans they need to win the game and will be priming the striker to spearhead his masterplan.
“Ninety minutes is a long time”.
Guardiola said he was still getting to know his players, because they’ve only been together “for a short period of time”, but he said he wouldn’t change his style, no matter what, because if he did, his players wouldn’t believe him.
Crucially for City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero will be at full fitness too after two draws and a defeat in the last three games.
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Manchester City failed to beat Celtic last month and even though Guardiola’s men were away from home, it was still two points dropped rather than one gained, especially considering Barcelona’s vital win in Germany. You saw that against Everton, at Tottenham when we lost, there are no easy games.
