Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, have advanced to the final of the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Man City won 4-0 against Real Madrid in the second leg of the UCL semifinals in the 2022-23 season at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England on the 19th. Silva’s two goals were followed by goals from Militang and Alvarez. Manchester City, who drew 1-1 in the last leg, advanced to the final with a 5-1 win in the first and second legs.
Man City reached the final, and their opponent is Inter Milan. Man City, with the best firepower and rising trend, is likely to win. This is why many experts are predicting Manchester City’s victory. Man City is also aiming to win the English Premier League (EPL) and FA Cup, so the second ‘treble’ in English football history is possible.
If Manchester City win the championship, Guardiola’s ’10-year grievance’ will be resolved. Does Guardiola, who is considered one of the world’s best coaches, have any regrets? It is the UCL championship.
He has already won two UCL titles as a manager. However, those two championships were possible thanks to Lionel Messi, the world’s best player at the time. It was all glory from Messi’s Barcelona. In the 2008-09 season and the 2011-12 season, Guardiola won the UCL championship with Messi at the fore.
Guardiola has left Barcelona and Messi to take on new challenges. In 2013, he took the helm of Bayern Munich, Germany. Bayern Munich was also one of the best teams in the world, but Guardiola couldn’t embrace the UCL. They won both the league and the FA Cup, but failed to win the UCL.
And in 2016, he came as Manchester City manager. Man City also experienced championships such as the League, League Cup, and FA Cup, but UCL was not allowed. It’s been 10 years since Guardiola left Barcelona and 10 years since he broke up with Messi.
Then, some branded him as a manager who could not win the UCL without Messi. But in fact, even Guardiola couldn’t refute it. In fact, he has never been able to win the top spot in Europe since parting ways with Messi, and he has not been able to get out of the formula that he can win only by borrowing the power of the world’s best player. 스포츠토토
This season, the opportunity to resolve this resentment has finally arrived. It is also an opportunity to boldly take off the tag of Messi. Guardiola is on the verge of winning the UCL for the first time without Messi.
But you can’t be careless until the end. Manager Guardiola said Manchester City reached the UCL final in the 2020-21 season as well, and believed that they could win the championship, but were caught in the final by Chelsea and stayed in runner-up.