adminGLASGOW. — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed hope his players would learn their lesson after losing their 100 percent season record in a spectacular 3-3 Champions League soccer draw at Celtic.
Guardiola tempered his delight at Manchester City’s ability to fight back three times in a thrilling draw against Celtic in the Champions League by urging his players to understand the importance of a good start.
Aiming to equal Tottenham Hotspur’s English record of 11 straight wins at the start of a season, City had to come from behind three times to earn a point in Wednesday night’s Group C clash in Glasgow.
City reached the semi-finals under Manuel Pellegrini last season, but not for the first time, Guardiola pointed to their current shortcomings as a sign of their callowness in continental competition.
“Maybe this is a good lesson for our future on the importance of starting well,” Guardiola told reporters.
“It was difficult for us to start in the first half and second half with a goal against us, that’s why I’m so happy for the reaction of the players — it’s not easy to score three goals away.
“This group, this club, we are going to fight until the last game to qualify.”
“This club was 25, 26 years without playing in Europe and last year was the first time to go further than the quarter-finals,” he told reporters at Celtic Park.
“So that will be a good lesson. Europe is special, teams are so strong. It doesn’t matter where. The opponent here, Celtic, is an amazing environment, with the fans, and we knew that.
“We had many, many chances to win the game. We scored three goals in Europe away and we created three or four more clear chances.” — AFP.
Online Reporter