Man City may never have a better chance of winning the Champions League
Guardiola remains guarded over his team's chances, but the premier European competition has rarely been so open for a new winner
Manchester — “We are still not ready to fight for the latter stages, that is the reality,” is Pep Guardiola’s reaction to beating Schalke 3-2 in the first leg of Manchester City’s Champions League last-16 tie was not that expected for the competition favourites. City manager Guardiola was frustrated that after taking an early lead in Gelsenkirchen, his side conceded two penalties to a side ranked 14th in the Bundesliga before Nicolas Otamendi’s red card left the Premier League champions to play the final 22 minutes with 10 men. “We gave away the first penalty, we gave away the second penalty, we gave away the red card. In this competition that is not good, too many things. When it happens in other stages, it is over.” The fact City still had the individual talent to come from behind a man down thanks to a brilliant Leroy Sane free-kick and Raheem Sterling’s injury-time winner shows why they remain on course for a historic quadruple of trophies this season. However, for the varying d...
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