MX23RW : Monday, July 27 20:13:19| >> :120:7755:7755:

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City will give everything in pursuit of Champions League glory'

Guardiola: 'City will give everything in pursuit of Champions League glory'
© Reuters
Manchester City are 2-1 up on Real Madrid in their last-16 tie.

Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City to try "until the last effort in their bodies" to win the Champions League this season.

City will have a great chance to reach the quarter-finals when the competition finally resumes next month, having taken a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid after the first leg of their last-16 tie.

City now know the second leg will be played at the Etihad Stadium on August 7, with the last eight then competing in a mini-tournament in Lisbon starting the following week.

Prior to that City will hope to have retained the FA Cup and they will bid to reach the August 1 Wembley final when they face Arsenal in their semi-final next week.

Guardiola may have become accustomed to success in his glittering career, but he sees the coming period as almost unique and a glorious opportunity to savour as they chase further glory.

The City manager said: "I feel the motivation and I think the team is there. I have the feeling that (for) my players in the club, and the organisation that we have, the next four weeks is something that is not coming back again.

"Of course we have the chance to fight (again) but the situation that we have is not coming back again.

"I think the big clubs don't miss these chances to try until the last effort they have in their bodies."

Guardiola won the Champions League with Barcelona
Guardiola won the Champions League with Barcelona (Nick Potts/PA)

Reaching the final would offer City captain David Silva an opportunity to add one glaring omission from his haul of major medals.

Silva, 34, is leaving City at the end of the season after a decade's outstanding service in which he has won four Premier League titles, five League Cups and two FA Cups. They add to the Copa del Rey he won at Valencia and, of course, the World Cup and two European titles he has won with Spain.

Guardiola said: "David has won everything – World Cup, European Championships in the national team, and the Premier League and all the titles you can achieve – except the Champions League.

"All of them want to try but the younger ones maybe they think they have more chances.

"Maybe David might go back to Europe with another top club and have another chance, but I'm pretty sure after one decade in this club, he will try – like he did last season too when we went out to a small detail against Tottenham or the other seasons like with Vincent (Kompany) or the other players who were here.

"All of us want to try, to be ourselves in the game against Real Madrid, to try to defend really well, suffer the bad moments and try to impose our game and our football, score goals and defend the game against Real Madrid."

ID:406021:

Click here for more stories about Pep Guardiola

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pictured on July 8, 2020
Read Next:
Jurgen Klopp sympathises with Dean Smith over VAR call
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLiverpool38323385335299
2Manchester CityMan City382639102356781
3Manchester UnitedMan Utd381812866363066
4Chelsea382061269541566
5Leicester CityLeicester381881267412662
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs3816111161471459
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves381514951401159
8Arsenal381414105648856
9Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd381412123939054
10Burnley38159144350-754
11Southampton38157165160-952
12Everton381310154456-1249
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381111163858-2044
14Crystal Palace381110173150-1943
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton38914153954-1541
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham38109194962-1339
17Aston Villa3898214167-2635
RBournemouth3897224065-2534
RWatford38810203664-2834
RNorwich CityNorwich3856272675-4921

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!