Pep Guardiola has passed through the microphones of Movistar Plus+ after achieving victory against Atlético de Madrid in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Objective achieved: “A very close and very difficult game. They are masters defending all together at the back. It’s difficult, but we managed to keep them from running too much. We didn’t give up chances and in the end, in a matter of patience, we got a goal in a good move by Phil ( Foden) with Kevin (De Bruyne). In the end we’ve had a couple of Kevin’s who haven’t managed to score. In the end going 1-0 or 2-0 we know that going to Madrid will be difficult. We’re going to win the game”.
match script: “We sensed that they would play 5-3-2 and we have gone out three or four times on the wings. Then they have adjusted and put Griezmann on the far right and João on the left and they have put themselves with five-five. With two lines of five. In prehistory, today and in 100,000 years, attacking against fives and fives is very difficult. There is no space. They are very competitive and defend very well. We have no references to strikers. They are both small and light. We move well and It’s hard. It’s 180 minutes. At the break I told them we were fine, don’t worry. The game broke down at the start of the second half and it was what suited us because they’re better than us in this. We got the goal and the game has been broken more in many things. I suspect that in Madrid it will be a game similar to the one we have seen in the last 10-15 minutes after the goal”.
Foden: “Phil has some very good receptions. He is very deep, very direct on goal. He has quality. We knew that with Gabriel and Phil they have a lot of energy. It was a very even match. It was difficult. A matter of patience”.
Does Guardiola’s style win?: “I don’t know. We’ve won a game.”
Metropolitan: “We will learn from today’s game. We will try to be a little better and try to win the game.”
The coach of Manchester City also attended BT Sport.
Happy: “A lot [está satisfecho], we played an incredible superior team, difficult to face. A good result. A difficult rival and we decided it in Madrid”.
Players: “The boys were playing well, but we know that Gabriel and Phil had a special energy and Jack the quality to continue playing with the ball. Today the coach was very smart.”
Changes: “Every coach when we make the substitution is that we believe it will be better. Sometimes it doesn’t work. If it works, it’s good. If it doesn’t work, it’s a mistake.”
Match: “We had to be focused, it’s not easy to face a team with a lot of experience in this competition. We’ll see what happens there. Now we have five days to prepare for Liverpool and after only three days for Madrid.”
Later, Guardiola spoke at a press conference.
Match: “It was a difficult match. He is a very tough opponent. They played with five defenders and five midfielders at times, it was difficult for us to find spaces. We were patient enough, although not in the first ten minutes of the second half, when we didn’t attack with the right pace. The result is good, although we could have taken advantage of two or three chances that De Bruyne had at the end”.
Atletico Defense: “They are very good at doing this. They are very good. They have been together for many years. We have met very little. I did not expect to win by three or four goals either. We knew who we were up against. wait for us. They defend very close together and very well. It’s hard. We’ll see what they decide to play and we’ll adapt”.
Elogios to Foden: “There were no spaces. They defend very well, very compact and very far back. We needed talent and Foden put his. These types of teams want to frustrate you and beat you up when they get a chance. They are very good, they punish you. Foden always receives very well. The first touch of it is fantastic. Few things were happening and we needed to change the game. We did it, we were brilliant.”
Gol de De Bruyne: “The game changed with 1-0. They began to press a little higher. I imagine that most of the match in Madrid will be like the last minutes of tonight. If the game goes well for them, maybe they will change again. We will adapt. We will work on how to attack better. We will not fly to defend the result but to try to win the match. The second leg will be a good test to check the maturity of our game”.