The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, has claimed that his team had the ideal balance of calm and tension going into their Champions League semi-final showdown against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The Premier League reigning champions defeated the reigning UEFA Champions League winners 5-1 on aggregate after outplaying them 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
It was a perfect form of retaliation after a painful semifinal defeat to Real Madrid last season. Then, Real Madrid stunned Manchester City with an incredible comeback to upset them 6-5 on aggregate.
“I had the feeling these last days that we had a mix of calm and tension to play these types of games”, Pep Guardiola said.
“And after 10 or 15 minutes, I had the feeling that all the pain that we had, what happened last season . . . it was really tough, losing the way we lost and I think at the moment we had to swallow poison”.
He added, “In sport, obviously you have another chance and when the draw was Madrid, I said, ‘Yeah, I want it’.
“(Tonight was) much, much better. I felt I don’t know why, you smelled that the team was ready to compete at the level that they competed today.”
Pep Guardiola and his team are three victories away from winning three major titles. They will play Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3 and could win the Premier League as early as Saturday if Nottingham Forest defeat second-placed Arsenal.
