Pep Guardiola: Manchester City is not really a strong team right now

Ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League away match against Bodø/Glimt, manager Pep Guardiola spoke to TNT Sports.

Nice to see you.

Nice to see you.

You’re wrapped up warmly in a scarf. I know your team trained here yesterday. How did you find that session, and how has it helped you prepare for tonight’s match?

We trained. We tested the pitch, the field conditions, the wind direction, and the cold temperature. That’s exactly why we came here to train yesterday.

Obviously, everyone expects it to be very cold tonight inside the Arctic Circle, yet you’ve still fielded a strong squad. I know you have injury issues—was this lineup chosen specifically to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout stage? You’re laughing at me—I know—but this is still a formidable team, isn’t it?

No, we’re not really a strong team right now—we have 10 players either injured or suspended. So this lineup isn’t actually that strong. Of course, this match is extremely important for us; the last two games and whether we qualify for the quarterfinals tonight are all crucial. We’ll give everything we’ve got in this game.

We saw O’Reilly previously play as a midfielder at St James’ Park, and he’ll return to that position tonight. That really shows what a versatile player he is.

Yes, he can definitely play in multiple positions. Exactly where he plays will depend on how the game unfolds.

I know you don’t pay much attention to outside chatter, but fans across the city are excited to see Erling Haaland play—it’s almost like a homecoming for him. He’s starting tonight, which gives him another great chance to score.

Yes, absolutely. This is his home country, and I believe the fans are here to watch him and our team play.

Bodø/Glimthave had a long break—it’s been nearly six weeks since their last official match. What kind of style do you expect them to play? Their players should be in much better physical condition than yours, right?

Yes, generally speaking, such a long break is an advantage for them. With six weeks off, players can fully recover physically and build up their fitness—they’ll be highly motivated to return to the pitch. The Champions League stage is a great opportunity for them, but we also hope to maintain our own rhythm and fight hard for victory.