Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says there will be no underestimating Champions League round 16 opponents RB Leipzig. The city is in Germany for the first leg.
“Right after the draw, I knew it, I felt it, they would be really tough,” Guardiola said. “For many years, this club has had its own culture, with young players and their recruitment, physicality, and a clear pattern to play.
“With German football, they make the transitions that are unstoppable. We have huge respect For what this club has done. Last season we won at home but struggled with Nkunku.”
That praise for Marco Rose’s team could be seen as playing down expectations, which Guardiola has had a habit of during his seven years in charge.
“I would say that if my career finishes tomorrow, literally tomorrow, I would be more than blessed and grateful for what I have done with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here,” he added. “I could never have expected to have the career I have had in a short time. Not just for the success we had but also for the way we play – I love it. I could not ask for more.
“In the end, destiny is already written. Sometimes we have been close, sometimes not. I have the feeling that what we have done, all of us, is going to fail. Whatever I have done personally in the past or the future, I will fail. Nothing will be enough.
