JAKARTA - Pep Guardiola has called Manchester City's players mere mortals and has not missed the possibility of experiencing emotional problems during the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund.
City arrived with a 2–1 win in the first leg and mathematically only needed a draw in the second leg at Signal Iduna Park, Germany, Wednesday local time (Thursday WIB), to lock up a semi-final ticket.
But when asked if his team were emotionally prepared to prevent Dortmund from turning things around, Guardiola chose a diplomatic answer.
"At the moment I don't know", Guardiola said in a pre-match press conference reported by Antara from City's official website on Tuesday night.
"My players are just human beings, people sometimes forget that. People have feelings and sometimes situations happen. But we know what to do", he added.
Dortmund in focus 💪
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/Bg4zKun5md
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 12, 2021
"If we want to win, we have to do something to deserve it. This season we've had a success doing that."
"Of course we have to control emotions, but sometimes you need emotions in the right way to win these kinds of matches".
Guardiola insists his team does not need to do anything special to win the semi-finals when the final whistle is heard at Signal Iduna Park.
"Every player should be able to be a leader on the field. Those who feel more comfortable will definitely take greater responsibility in the game", Guardiola said.
If they can get past Dortmund, this will be City's furthest move in the Champions League since Guardiola's handling, which has stalled in the quarter-finals in recent seasons.
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