Pep Guardiola has said that his side need to score goals in their Champions League Last-16 tie with Monaco otherwise they will be knocked out. Manchester City came from behind to score three goals in the final 19 minutes at the Etihad Stadium to take a two-goal advantage over to Monaco in the second-leg.
Manchester City will be eliminated if they don’t score
Despite City taking a two-goal lead into the return leg, Guardiola was honest to admit that he thinks his side will exit the competition at the first knockout round if they do not score against their French opposition – who looked dangerous going forward at the Etihad.
“They will attack more and more and we have to defend better,” he said to Manchester Evening News. “But we will have our chances. We are going to fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible.
“We are not going to defend that result. We have to score goals. If we don’t score a goal in Monaco we will be eliminated.”
Pep Guardiola’s side played out special game
Raheem Sterling handed City the lead after 26 minutes when he tapped home from Leroy Sane's cross, but the visitors responded and turned the game around when former Manchester United player Radamel Falcao scored his first goal of the night before Kylian Mbappe drove home.
Sergio Aguero, who hadn't scored in six games prior to the clash with Monaco, levelled the game for the hosts after half-time, but they were only level for three minutes before Falcao produced a sublime finish to chip the ball over Willy Caballero.
Aguero, John Stones and Sane put the former Barcelona boss’ team in control after an epic Champions League clash. City may be the only English club in the quarter-finals if they progress after Arsenal were thumped by Bayern Munich and Leicester City face a tricky test in Sevilla, City’s defensive problems were apparent at times, but Guardiola, who said the first leg was “special”, has stated that his side played the type of football that he said he’d bring when he took over.
“We attack in small spaces and defend huge spaces behind,” he said. That’s why the people contracted me to come here. It is special for football when two teams play like that.
“Of course I am happier than my colleague from Monaco because at two goals behind we are out. And if one team can score a thousand million goals it’s Monaco. they arrive with six or seven players in the box and it is tough to control that on the counter attack.”