UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says new UCL format has been great lesson

UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says new UCL format has been great lesson

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is not entirely sold on the new Champions League format after his team barely scraped through to the knockout round but called the experience an “incredible lesson” for his team.

City came back from a goal down to beat Belgian side Brugge on Wednesday in a nerve-jangling must-win league phase finale, to finish 22nd in the table – three places above elimination.

“I would say I don’t like (the new format) because we suffer a lot,” said Guardiola, whose team won just two of its first seven games to set up Wednesday’s thriller.

“We were on the perch, 45 minutes to be out. It is an incredible lesson for me and the players that nothing is for granted,” he added.

City faces either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the two-legged knockout round, and while City’s form this season does not bode well against either of the European heavyweights, the manager said he will at least have some reinforcements.

New signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis were not eligible to play in the league phase but can join the team for the knockout games in the second and third weeks of February. A handful of players may also return from injury.

“In two weeks we will be better. Players will come back, we have new signings,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola is also realistic in a season that has City an uncharacteristic fourth in the Premier League.

“I don’t know if they are happy to play against us, it is what it is. One is the king of the competition, the other is the second or third king,” Guardiola said of Real Madrid, which has 15 Champions League titles and Bayern Munich, which has six.

“We play this competition with a thousand million problems. They are favourites, yes, they are better than us right now,” he added.

Mateo Kovacic and substitute Savinho scored in the victory, plus Brugge had an own goal.

“The first half was so academic, we missed a spark, Savinho helped us. He changed the game, after five minutes created two or three corners,” Guardiola said.

“Sometimes you are winning 2-0 or 3-0, you are scared to lose. You are 1-0 down out of the Champions League and in the right moments we found the goals,” he added.

Guardiola kicked a drinks cooler in celebration after Savinho’s goal that all but put the game away and said he was fine when asked – tongue in cheek – in the post-game press conference if his foot was OK.