In order to be the best, you have to beat the best and that’s exactly what Pep Guardiola and Manchester City did this weekend. Real Madrid are los Reyes del Europa, the Kings of Europe. No club has dominated the competition, both this past decade, and all-time, in the manner they have.
Now they’re out, bested by City, who are set to face Lyon in the quarterfinals. Pep was aked by BT Sport after the victory what ousting Madrid means for his side and their outlook moving forward.
City are certainly the favorites of the entire field right now. As any football tipster will tell you, the 2019-20 UCL tournament is certainly there’s to lose.
“For us, it is of course important, we beat them twice. Zizou never lost one knockout game. You see the calm and personality they play with, they are good,” Guardiola responded.
“But we are here to try and win the Champions League. It is just one step. If we think that is enough, we will show how small of a team we are. To win the Champions League you have to beat the big clubs.”
Sure, he’s just stating the obvious. We all knew that this specfic season was all about winning the UCL at Manchester City. And Guardiola has said on numerous occasions that he’s well aware about how success or failure in the UCL will define his legacy at the Etihad.
Still, it’s important to hear the Spaniard say this again, at this crucial point in the tournament.
This is by far the best opportunity City has to lift “ol big ears” at the end. They have never previously won it, nor even reached the final. The high water mark for them was the 2016 semi-final appearance. When they take on Lyon, the side with the longest odds of winning it all, it will be their third straight quarterfinal appearance.
“I spoke to the scouting department and they told me ‘be alert’ and we have eight days, we will enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, then we will start to think about Lyon,” Guardiola said of his upcoming opponents.
Champions League betting odds
Quarterfinals (August 12-15)
(+210) Atalanta v. PSG (+117). Tie: +275
(+225) RB Leipzig v. Atletico Madrid (+135). Tie: +220
(+235) Barcelona v. Bayern Munich (+115). Tie: +255
(-305) Manchester City v. Lyon (+750). Tie: +450
Outright winner
Manchester City (+220)
Bayern Munich (+325)
Paris Saint-Germain (+500)
Atletico Madrid (+800)
Barcelona (+800)
Atalanta (+1000)
RB Leipzig (+1700)
Lyon (+3500)
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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