Pep Guardiola insists Bayern Munich won’t give up despite first-leg fiasco

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged his players to stay on their toes ahead of Wednesday’s match against Bayern Munich as ‘he knows the mentality of this club’.

City utterly outclassed Thomas Tuchel’s side in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie last week, steamrolling to a 3-0 home win to put one foot in the semi-finals.

The Cityzens’ thumping triumph was a cause for unrest in the Bayern locker room, culminating with a physical altercation between Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane.

Without the former Liverpool ace, Tuchel’s side slumped to a 1-1 home draw against Bundesliga bottom-half underachievers TSG Hoffenheim last weekend, casting further doubt on the team’s chemistry.

But although the Germans look up the creek without a paddle and seemingly incapable of pulling three goals back against one of the most in-form European sides, Guardiola has called for cautiousness.

The Spaniard, who was in charge of the Bavarians for three years before switching to the Etihad Stadium in 2016, is adamant the record-time Bundesliga champions won’t give up despite the odds.

“I’ve been here and I know the mentality of this club – it’s everywhere,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “It’s under the skin. I know they believe they can do it,”

“When you are in these type of clubs – we are trying to build this feeling, that whatever happens we can do it. They have that in their history and we are growing in that.”

Man City are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals for a third successive season, but they cannot underestimate Bayern’s attacking potential.

As one of the most prolific sides in recent European history, the Bavarians have the capacity to score in abundance, especially in front of a feverish atmosphere at a sold-out Allianz Arena.

However, with Erling Braut Haaland firing on all cylinders, it seems all pieces have finally fallen into place to accommodate Man City’s long-overdue Champions League glory.