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PARIS. — Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola told his players to believe in their ability to complete the job against Paris Saint-Germain next week.
They are just one step away from reaching the club’s first Champions League final.
Guardiola’s men came from behind to beat the French champions 2-1 in the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night to take a vital lead back to the Etihad Stadium on May 4.
The English champions-elect needed a response after Marquinhos’s early header gave PSG a halftime lead.
City were much improved after half-time, but had luck on their side to level when Kevin De Bruyne’s cross found the bottom corner, before Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick completed the comeback.
“In Dortmund we conceded a goal and came back and today the same,” said Guardiola.
“Only what I want is to be ourselves in the second game.
“We are good playing in a certain way, we cannot do it another way. Hopefully we can find the right words, the right decisions to do it.
“Sometimes you need to be more relaxed and be ourselves. The first half is normal — you don’t want to lose the ball (so) you don’t play free. We changed a little in the way we press. We were passive (earlier on). Then we were more aggressive. It’s not easy against Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria.
“Afterwards we found goals and could have scored another. I’m so satisfied with the performance but we’re only halfway. There are 90 more minutes. Anything can happen.
“We didn’t have good possession in the right positions. This club don’t have much experience in the semi-finals of this tournament. This will help us. In the second half we were aggressive and played really good.
“Against Dortmund, we conceded and came back. Today the same. (We were) ourselves in the second half. We are good playing in a certain way — we can’t do a different way.”
City showed a new found maturity on the European stage to weather an early storm from Mauricio Pochettino’s men and go in only 1-0 down at the break. — AFP.
Online Reporter