Pep Guardiola says revenge for final season’s semi-final heartache fuelled treble-chasing Manchester City as they sealed a spot within the Champions League last in fashion towards Real Madrid.
A June 10 conflict with Inter Milan in Istanbul beckons after a spectacular show of ability, power and nous at a rocking Etihad Stadium towards the reigning champions on Wednesday.
City drew 1-1 with Champions League kings Madrid final week and ran out 4-0 victors as Bernardo Silva’s brace was complemented by an personal objective from Eder Militao and substitute Julian Alvarez’s effort in a surprising last-four show.
The 5-1 mixture triumph felt notably candy after City’s 2021 last loss to Chelsea was compounded by final yr’s agonising semi-final exit to Madrid.
“Listen, I had the feeling these last days that we had a mix of calm and tension to play this type of game,” Guardiola stated of that heart-breaking late 6-5 mixture extra-time loss final time period.
“After 10 or 15 minutes, I had the feeling that all the pain that we had during one year from what happened last season was there today.
“It was so hard and tough last season when we played quite similar to today and I remember Toni Kroos gave an interview saying they could have lost 10-1 or 10-2 at the Etihad.
“Kroos is one of the best players I have ever seen and trained and when he says that it means we were there and it was really tough losing the way we lose.
“In that moment, we had to swallow poison and football and sport always gives you another chance.
“When the draw was Madrid, I said ‘yeah I want it’. I wanted it because I think today everything was there – the energy we had from a year of being criticised as players for not having character when we lost because it was football.
“Today it was there and I’m pleased for the whole organisation – for the chairman, owner, staff and especially all the players because we accepted the defeat and today we were there.”
City are overwhelming favourites with bookmakers to beat Inter, simply as they’re to elevate the FA Cup towards rivals Manchester United seven days earlier than that date with future in Turkey.
We needed to swallow poison and soccer and sport at all times offers you one other probability
Pep Guardiola
Guardiola’s males are additionally odds-on to finish the treble, which they’ll kick off this weekend by wrapping up the Premier League title towards Chelsea.
“We are one game away from winning the Premier League for three years in a row, and we have been in two Champions League finals and one semi-final,” he stated.
“That is consistency. I always put the example of being Carabao Cup winners for four years in a row. That means the level of this team.
“There is one incredible detail in this team that I’m so proud of – they are so humble. It doesn’t matter the competition, they take every game seriously because they are so humble.
“I hate arrogance in sport, the moment that you believe you are something you are not. These guys have not done this for many years and today we got the reward they deserve.
“A final against an Italian team, people will say we are favourites and that is the worst that can happen but we have time to prepare and now we focus on Chelsea because we have to try to close the Premier League as soon as possible because we have to prepare for United and Inter Milan.”
As for dethroned champions Madrid, supervisor Carlo Ancelotti had no arguments with City’s development.
“I think that tonight Manchester City deserved to win because they played better than us,” the Italian stated.
“Last season was different. This season they deserve to reach the final and fight for the final. They were better than us as we were better than them last season.”
