"Emotionally I'm destroyed" - Pep Guardiola claims he was 'uncomfortable' in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Bayern Munich
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that Tuesday’s (April 11) win over Bayern Munich left him in an emotionally exhausted state.
Manchester City welcomed Bayern Munich to the Etihad Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. The Bavarians put on a spirited show in the backyard of the Premier League holders, but ultimately succumbed to a 3-0 defeat.
While the scoreline looks comfortable, City were only leading 1-0 through Rodri’s goal until Bernardo Silva doubled their tally in the 70th minute. Haaland applied a cool finish in the 76th minute to make it 3-0, giving the hosts a sizeable lead to take to the second leg at the Allianz Arena.
Speaking to the press after the match, Guardiola admitted that the nerve-wracking match took a decade off him. The former Barcelona manager revealed (via Manchester Evening News):
“It was not comfortable. Emotionally I'm destroyed. I have 10 more years [on me] today. It was so demanding game.
“Now I have to relax, a day off for the guys, prepare for Leicester. I know exactly what you have to do there. If you don't perform really well they are able to score one, two, three. I know that. The players know that. It's an incredible result, but we have to play our game with huge, huge personality.”
While City record 17 shots on Tuesday night, Bayern lodged 12. The visitors tested Ederson four times while the hosts had nine shots on target. City missed two big chances in the first leg while Bayern missed one.
Manchester City will return to Premier League action with a clash against Leicester City on April 15. On the 19th, they will travel to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena for the Champions League quarter-finals second leg.
Manchester City reach massive milestone with win over Bayern Munich
Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich not only saw them move closer to fulfilling their Champions League dream but also made them England’s best in one key statistic.
The win at the Etihad Stadium extended their unbeaten home streak to 25 games in the Champions League. No English team in history has managed to go unbeaten in as many home matches in the competition.
In their last 25 games at the Etihad Stadium, City have won 23 times and lost only twice. Their last defeat at home came against Lyon in the group stage of the 2018-19 Champions League season. They lost 2-1 to the Ligue 1 outfit.