Pep Guardiola reveals “the perfect player” and it’s not Lionel Messi
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Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has praised the performance of Bernardo Silva after Manchester City beat Sporting Lisbon 5-0 assuring their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. City all but confirmed their place in the quarter-finals by inflicting Sporting’s joint-biggest home defeat in European competition, as they underlined their status as Champions League favourites.
The Portuguese international struck a sumptuous half-volley into the roof of the net to double City’s advantage in Lisbon, with the visitors going on to win 5-0 in our Champions League last 16 first leg.
Talking to the media after the game, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said, “Always, I tell him, ‘Bernardo you are a perfect player’… (But) I say ‘you have to score goals to win games, you have to do it,” said the City boss.
“Today he scored one of the best goals I have ever seen, for the technique, for everything.
“Hopefully he can get confidence. For him it’s special, I always speak a lot with him about what Lisbon means to him.
“Lisbon is his hometown. He left years ago for Monaco, Monte Carlo after here and always loves the opportunity to come here to his hometown.
“Of course, he is a former Benfica player and supporter. He loves Benfica and to beat a rival in that way is special for him.
“He is unique. Many things are unique. First as a person. His mum and dad have to be so proud. He is a lovely person. He is so generous.”
‘Long way to go’ for City, says Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola was not very pleased with his side’s performance in Lisbon, warning his players that they must maintain perfection if City are to win their first Champions League trophy.
“We defended well and got an incredible result,” he added. “We have a duty to look at the performance too, even if the result is a dream.
“The performance could have been better. The difference between the two teams is not 0-5, but we were just so clinical.”
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were unbeaten on their way to last season’s final before being defeated by Chelsea in Porto, and Guardiola has not forgotten the negative response to last May’s result.
He added: “If we do go through to the quarter-finals, who knows what will happen. Last season we made a perfect Champions League season, then we lost the final. Then we are seen as a failure. I will not hide behind a 5-0 win, there is a long way to go.”
League leaders Manchester City face Tottenham in their next match in the Premier League as they continue their unbeaten run.
Also read: ‘I haven’t decided on my future’- Paris Saint Germain striker Kylian Mbappe says he has not made a decision on his future
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Sandipan Roy
(207 Articles Published)