Manchester City may be 3-1 up in their Champions League Round-of-16 tie against FC Copenhagen but manager Pep Guardiola has warned his defending champions against any complacency in Wednesday’s second leg clash at home.
City, second in the Premier League, face leaders Liverpool on Sunday who they trail by a point but the Spaniard said the focus remained on reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.
“In football, details make the difference. Everything can happen,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We concede a goal in the 85th minute ... concede two, we have to go to extra time.
“I have a lot of respect for Copenhagen. They defend, they have a good system ... they’re really well organised,” he added.
Guardiola cited the example of RB Leipzig, whom City beat 3-1 on the road in the group stage but then went 2-0 behind at home before fighting back to win 3-2.
“Two mistakes, zero two,” he said. “If we (conceded) another goal we’d be second in the table.”
City striker Erling Haaland echoed his manager’s sentiments. “I haven’t thought of (the Liverpool game) until you asked me now,” he said.
“I am focused on Copenhagen. It’s going to be a huge game against Liverpool, we have to be ready for the game. We have to be brave and play at our best.”
Love my job: Ancelotti
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is happy with his team’s season so far as they lead La Liga and prepare to host RB Leipzig with a 1-0 lead but the Italian said his job still involved a lot of suffering.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, the 64-year-old reflected on the personal burden that comes with being Real Madrid manager and the struggle to handle the mental challenge facing the players and staff in such a competitive environment.
“My work is more about suffering than happiness,” a contemplative Ancelotti told a press conference.
“I love my job, even more at Real Madrid because it’s the perfect club in the world to do what I do. But about my work as a whole, it is more about suffering because of the situations that you a manage on a daily basis.
“Suffering is only yours to have. You can share happiness with others, you can’t do that with the suffering.
So I’m fine because of where I am and the job that I have, but I have more suffering than happiness...”
Unbeaten in the Champions League as they resume their bid for a record-extending 15th European Cup triumph, Ancelotti said he was thrilled with where his team stands, despite injuries to key players like goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois plus defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao with ACL tears.
