Manchester City took a big step towards reaching the Champions League semi-finals after a dominant 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Despite his long wait to win Europe’s top club competition again, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola showed his strategy and guided his team to a stunning victory.
Guardiola has faced criticism for overcomplicating things in the knockout stages of the Champions League since he last lifted the trophy as Barcelona manager in 2009. During his time in charge of Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2016, he suffered three semi-final exits. And even with Manchester City, they came close to delivering the coveted title in 2021 but lost out to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.
However, in this match, Guardiola’s big calls paid off, and his side produced a clinical performance that rattled Bayern Munich. After much tinkering with the defensive set-up earlier in the season, Guardiola settled on a back four composed entirely of natural centre-backs, with Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji in front of goalkeeper Ederson. Built an impregnable wall.
Stones was played at centre-back, with Akanji moving to the right to handle the pace of Bayern’s Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman. Guardiola was pleased with how his defense handled the pressure without worrying, saying, “The last four, how they handled it without pressure, without worrying. Struggle.”
City were more clinical this time around, with Rodri scoring a superb first-half strike, and Bernardo Silva, recalled at the expense of Riyad Mahrez, heading in the second goal. Guardiola’s decision to bring in Julian Alvarez for Kevin De Bruyne proved to be a masterstroke, as Alvarez’s energy helped City’s momentum. Alvarez almost scored twice himself before assisting Stones, whose header found Erling Haaland for Home City’s third of the night.
Bayern coach Tuchel was stunned after the match, saying “We were punished brutally. This is the highest level of world football.” Guardiola, on the other hand, was happy with his decision-making, adding, “I’m here to take decisions and I take them. That’s one of my biggest strengths as a manager. I look at the performance on the pitch when it’s done.” We needed. Extra energy with Julian, and that’s why I made the decision.”
City’s Abu Dhabi bosses are waiting for their moment of Champions League glory, but Guardiola’s side are getting closer. They have one foot in the semi-finals, and only Bayern’s stunning comeback in the second leg can deny them a third successive semi-final.
