Win bonus is only thing on Pep's mind

Date published: 17 October 2016


PEP Guardiola is going all out for victory as he takes Manchester City to his former club Barcelona this week.

City were handed a daunting task when they were paired with competition favourites Barca in Group C of the Champions League.

After being held to a draw at Celtic in their last group match, City head to the Nou Camp already trailing the Catalan giants by two points.

Defeat On Wednesday would give Celtic or Borussia Monchengladbach a chance to close in on second place but manager Guardiola is not entertaining such thoughts.

Guardiola (pictured), who won the Champions League twice with Barca, said: "I have never thought about the next game thinking a draw would be a good result.

"It is complicated. No win in Glasgow means we have to take points off Barcelona there or here, and especially in Germany as well.

"We have four games left, we have to win two. We have to make six points to be in the next step.

"We are going to try to win the first points in the next game. That is sure."

City dominated Saturday's Premier League game against Everton but had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Maarten Stekelenburg saved penalties from Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.

Asked if a draw at Barcelona would be a good result, Guardiola said: "I don't know. It depends on the game.

"When you play like Saturday then it is not a good result, but if Barcelona play much better than us maybe it is a good result."

City will go into the game with the early-season optimism created by 10 successive wins tempered slightly after a run of three without victory.

But Everton boss Ronald Koeman, who played alongside Guardiola at Barca, believes City have the capabilities to win in midweek.

He said: "They are strong enough to get a good result in Barcelona."