Pep Guardiola’s Man City side take on Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday
Pep Guardiola believes Liverpool have had a good season up until now – as he said Real Madrid are the current favourites to win the Champions League. City saw their hopes of lifting the European Cup ruthlessly ended by Kylian Mbappe and Real on Wednesday night.
The French superstar scored a brilliant and devastating hat-trick as the holders powered into the last-16 with a convincing 3-1 win in the second-leg of their play-off tie at the Santiago Bernabeu. Carlo Ancelotti’s side had claimed a 3-2 victory at the Etihad in the first-leg.
Liverpool, who avoided a play-off tie after finishing top of the group stage phase, will discover their last-16 opponents later today. Next up for Arne Slot’s side, who drew 2-2 with Aston Villa on Wednesday night, is a huge clash against City at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds will arrive in Manchester at the top of the Premier League table, and when asked who he believes will win the Champions League, Guardiola named four possible teams, and when he mentioned Liverpool, the Catalan did so by claiming that Slot’s side have enjoyed an impressive campaign up until now.
“Of course Madrid are a contender, definitely,” he said. “But there are other good teams around. It will be an interesting Champions League season.
Madrid are always favourites for this trophy. There are other teams who are having a very good season, but Madrid are always favourites.
“But there are other teams that are playing very well. Liverpool are having a really good season up until now, Barcelona are amazing, Paris Saint-Germain, with my friend Luis [Enrique] in charge, are on the march. But obviously, Madrid are favourites.”
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash, Guardiola also admitted that his side’s objective for the remainder of the season is ensuring they are playing in next season’s Champions League. He said: “Yes, of course (it is the main target).
The FA Cup is there too, but now we are out of the Champions League and we have 13 games in the Premier League to be in the top four or five, I don’t know, to try to be here again.”
