Sports

Guardiola Wary of ‘Best Title Contenders’ Liverpool At ‘Toughest Stadium’ Anfield

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that the Citizens’ Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool this Sunday is one against the ‘best title contenders’ at Anfield – one of the toughest stadiums in Europe today to play as an away team, in his reckoning.
Champions Manchester City are six points behind Liverpool going into this matchday-12 clash.
Guardiola’s men drew goalless with the Reds at Anfield and won 2-1 in the reverse fixture at the Etihad on the way to beating Jurgen Klopp’s team to the Premier League title last season with one point difference.

But the Champions League kings are not only unbeaten in the Premier League this term, they are also unbeaten in 45 consecutive games at Anfield. And Guardiola is at alert.
“As a manager, I said last season when we won the league, they [Liverpool] are the best contender ever faced in my career to win this league,” Guardiola told reporters in his prematch press conference on Friday.
“It was the biggest achievement, or one of the biggest achievements, as a club. It remains the same. Probably right now they’rethe strongest team in the world.
“They are an exceptional team. Of course, the history is there for itself. It’s something special, I think more for the quality of the team of what they do, quality of players theyhave, quality of manager they have, I believe more in that, in the team, than the scenario atmosphere at Liverpool].
Guardiola added: “Right now it’s [Anfield] one of the toughest ones [stadiums] right now in Europe.”
Guardiola also weighs his teams chances of deposing the Klopp’s army in the current title race.
Also Read: Lampard Named Premier League Manager Of The Month For October
“I don’t know to be honest, I think inNovember it never ends. I think we have a lot of games still to play” he said.
“My experience in sport is you have to play until the end, are we going to win Champions League? Your favourite question! I don’t knowthe answer.
“They lost one game last season, this season they are unbeaten, so I think they won’t lose many, but the season is long.”
Asked about the ‘diving’ comment he made about Liverpool’s Sadio Mane that attracted a counter reaction from Klopp, Guardiola responds tartly.
He said: “I said in Italy, no comment.
“Ask the other managers. I know exactly what I said to my players in the last 11 years about what we have to do. I know exactly.”
Guardiola also shrugs off suggestion that the rivalry between him and Klopp could be likened to that of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as Manchester United and Arsenal managers respectively earlier in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“Well, I will wait [to see] if my hair grows in the next 20 years because they were more than 20 years together,” he stated
“I think we cannot compare anyone with the rivals of Ferguson and Wenger. Absolute legends in their clubs, they were more thanone or two decades there.”
11 BUSINESS NUGGETS FROM SUPER EAGLES BRONZE MEDAL TRIUMPH. The content of this ebook will propel you above your competition. DOWNLOAD NOW!!!

Source link

Sports

Europa League: Aribo In Action As Leverkusen Knock Rangers Out

Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo was in action for Rangers in their 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in Thursday’s Europa League second-leg round of 16 clash, Completesports.com reports.
Aribo featured for 90 minutes for Rangers but Eagles teammate Leon Balogun was not in Rangers squad for the game.
Leverkusen progressed into the quarter-final 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first-leg 3-1 in Scotland.

The German side will bow face Serie A giants Inter Milan in the last eight.

In the other round of 16 tie that was played on Thursday, Sevilla beat AS Roma 2-0 in a one-legged game.
Sergio Reguilon opened scoring for Sevilla on 22 minutes before Youssef En-Nesyri doubled their lead on 44 minutes.
By James Agberebi
Copyright © 2020 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.

Source link

Sports

Man City Vs Madrid: Rodri Talks Tough, Urges Citizens To Stop 13-Time UCL Champions

Manchester City’s most expensive signing, Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante – Rodri, has braved up ahead of the Citizens’ Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid and urges teammates to fight again and defeat the European giants.
Pep Guardiola’s men host the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on Friday with a 2-1 advantge following their famous win at Santiago Bernabeu in February. But Rodri knows that against Real Madrid, it’s never over untill it’s over.
“They [Real Madrid] are more than a team, they have that way of playing. You can never relax, even if you are winning 3-0 or 4-0 they still come back” Rodri told reporters in pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“They are the biggest team in thiscompetition but now football has changed a little bit. It is so competitive. The distancesbetween teams are so, so narrow.

“I know that we have a better team but we have to show that we have a better team on the pitch with our good behaviour and personality.
Also Read – Chukwu: 1994 Super Eagles Side Better Than AFCON 1980 Squad, 1996 Olympic Dream Team
Rodri added: “I think we have a better squad and if we do things well, I think everything is going to be good for us.
“That’s just a general opinion of mine. I think we have got a better team, but words are worthless if you can’t demonstrate them outon the field.”
Rodri and Pep Guardiola
Rodri who arrived Manchester City in July 2019 as the club’s new record £62.6m signing from Atletico Madrid, is looking to help the Sky Blues win their first ever Champions League title. The defensive midfielder won the 2019 Super Cup with the side after his arrival and has added on the 2019/20 EFL Cup.
The only European silverware in City’s trophy cabinet is their 1969/1970 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Rodri believes that Madrid can’t stand in City’ way if the players go out and fight.
The Spain International said: “It’s down to us to prove that, prove what I’ve been saying,” the 24 year old reiterated.
“There are lots of general reasons, but l’d just say we’re a side that is full of goals and we’ve got talented players in every position, every area of the field.
“We’ve got to play well and I think we’ve got to match Real Madrid in what they may have that is better than us – more experience onthe massive stage than us and they’ve got a strong mentality in these big, big games.
“If we match them in those areas, fate will decide, but I think well have a good chance.”
“We know we want to win the Champions League, so we want to win every single match,” he added.
“It is important to win tomorrow. We are fo- cused on wining the Champions League. Theconfidence of the team is to get this goal.
“It is a dream for everyone, for me. Tomorrow we have this amazing match that is a final for us.
“We have the confidence that it is a long tournament. We want to win the tournament, not only the Real Madrid match,” Rodri concluded.
Copyright © 2020 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.

Source link

Sports

Aubameyang Close To Signing New Three-Year Arsenal Deal

Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is close to ending speculation about his future by signing a new contract with the Gunners.
First reported by the Daily Telegraph , Aubameyang is nearing an agreement on an extension to a deal which is currently due to expire at the end of next season.
Aubameyang scored 22 goals in the Premier League last season and netted twice in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final.

Since his move to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, he has scored 54 goals in 85 Premier League games.

Aubameyang, 31, is younger than Willian, 32 on Sunday, who has been offered a three-year deal to move from Chelsea on a free transfer.
The news of the two contract offers comes a day after the club made a statement revealing their plan to make 55 members of staff redundant, including international recruitment specialist Francis Cagigao.
Also Read: Premier League Clubs Vote To Return To Three Substitutions
Arsenal, who will hold meetings with staff on Friday, said one of the key reasons cutbacks are being made is to “maintain investment in the team”.
Speaking before the FA Cup final, Alexandre Lacazette said his future at Arsenal is not dependent on Aubameyang staying.
Asked if he has entered talks over a new contract, Lacazette replied: “No, we didn’t talk about this.
“Me, I’m just playing my games and finishing the season to see how it’s going to be but we didn’t talk about anything.”
Lacazette and Aubameyang are close both on and off the pitch but the France international said his future at Arsenal is not entwined with that of the club’s captain.
“No, because we know that Auba has a lot of discussions with the club and I can’t put my future on someone else,” he replied when such a scenario was put to him.
“When he came everyone knows we had a good relationship together. We always talk about everything, not only about football but everything in life. He’s a good guy. That’s why between us it became really easy.”
Copyright © 2020 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.

Source link