Manchester City defeated Bratislava 4-0 away from home in the second round of the Champions League stage in the early hours of this morning. After the match, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was interviewed by TNT Sports, sharing his thoughts on the match and his team's performance.
Commenting on the win, Guardiola said, "We had a clear mission today and that was to win the game, which we did. This group of players were fantastic, they played very well on the field and took a lot of chances, so we gained three valuable points. At one point during the game we were worried that the game would be tougher because of the other team's brave defense, but after going 2-0 up, we stayed patient and attacked very sharply to get this big win."
Talking about the impact of the new format on his team, Guardiola said, "I'm probably more conservative when thinking about goal difference. For me, winning is enough. However, we have three very tough away games coming up, so every point is crucial. Today, we got our first win in the Champions League this season, which moves us up the table."
Speaking about the players' performances, Guardiola spoke highly of Gündoğan, Foden and McCarty. He said, "Gündoğan's performance today was excellent, his willpower is very strong. Although he didn't play well against Newcastle, this is soccer and sometimes players go through lows. But today he proved himself and played a great game."
As for Foden, Guardiola thinks he hasn't fully recovered his best form yet, but has shown a good performance: "Foden scored a wonderful goal today and had a shot that hit the post. He has more chances and I believe he is finding his form step by step."
Finally, Guardiola was delighted with McCarty's performance: "All of us are happy for McCarty, he was fantastic on the pitch today. He moved well in tight spaces, scored a fantastic goal and then got another chance after that. It will be a good boost for him. We want him to know that he's part of this team and he can come on and contribute to the team. Hopefully today's game will help him build more confidence."
Guardiola's speech shows his satisfaction with the team's overall performance as well as his concern and support for individual players. I believe that under Guardiola's leadership, Manchester City will be able to continue to achieve good results in the Champions League this season.
