Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that the Citizens won’t underestimate Red Star Belgrade in today’s Champions League game..
The reigning champions will be hoping to commence their campaign on a winning note at the Etihad Stadium.
As they prepare to take on Red Star Belgrade in the group stages, Guardiola knows they face a tough task.
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“I remember Red Star. I remember when I was a young boy, [Diego] Maradona playing there and make a goal when he kicked the ball over the keeper,” he told reporters.
“I remember that fresh in my memory and the amazing squad.
“Always is a nice atmosphere. I remember perfectly well in Croatia. The culture for Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro this kind. Lovely countries and they have an incredible mentality.
“They are competitors. All the incredible athletes water polo, look now Djokovic all the incredible athletes. All the competitors. I don’t know why but for the schools for the kids they have something special.
“[They are] so aggressive. In some moments they don’t defend man to man. Sometimes they defend man to man. We have to be ready. [They are] quick in the transitions good runners.
“Typical system a 5-3-2 when they attack or a 5-2-3 with a lot of players in the final third. We have to be able to read well what we have to do tomorrow.
“Well I saw last season [coach Barak Bakhar was] with Maccabi Haifa in a difficult group against Juventus, Benfica and PSG.
“What I saw, because we saw a little bit, my staff analyze what he has done with Maccabi Haifa against Mbappe, Messi and Neymar for example. Very impressed with the courage and bravery to play against them. Doesn’t matter what happened.
“We think tomorrow is going to be quite similar.”
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