Pep Guardiola Reveals Secret Formula for Manchester City to Win Champions League

• Pep Guardiola says team harmony will be key to Manchester City winning their first UEFA Champions League title
• City lost out on last season’s title after losing to Premier League rivals Chelsea in the club’s first-ever Champions League final appearance
• Manchester City resume their quest for the Champions League crown when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the round-of-16 first leg on Tuesday, February 15

Pep Guardiola says togetherness and team harmony will be instrumental in helping Manchester City win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the Club’s history.

City came close last season but lost out on the title to fellow English team, Chelsea as the Citizens were beaten 1-0 in the final by a Kai Havertz goal.

The Champions League has resumed again and Manchester City is in action on Tuesday, February 15, as Pep Guardiola’s team travel to Portugal to tackle Sporting Lisbon in the round-of-16 first leg.

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And according to a report via Spanish news outlet Marca, Guardiola admitted outclassing last season’s performance will not be an easy task for his team.

"To do better than last season is not easy. Yeah, we are excited and happy to again be in this competition at this stage. I know the importance of the Champions League, we cannot deny it,"

Pep Guardiola has failed to recapture the Champions League since winning the trophy twice with Spanish giants Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola to name tough squad ahead of Sporting Lisbon clash

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is expected to name a strong line-up in Manchester City’s round-of-16 tie against Sporting Lisbon.

According to Goal, Guardiola plans on starting players who are experienced playing against Sporting in the Portuguese league as Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, and Ederson all have a history with Sporting CP

Sterling, De Bruyne, and Foden are also expected to lead Manchester City’s attack as they into the match as big favorites with a Portuguese club failing to beat a Premier League side in the knockout stages since Benfica overcame Liverpool 16 years ago.

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Sporting Lisbon versus Manchester City Preview

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Manchester City traveled to Portugal to take on Sporting Lisbon as the knockout phase of the Champions League gets underway and Pep Guardiola will be looking to take a first-leg advantage.

The Citizens won Group A with 12 points to reach this stage of the competition, while Sporting were runners-up in Group C behind Ajax, edging Borussia Dortmund to a spot in the Round of 16.

It is the first time the Portuguese outfit reach this stage of the competition since the 2008-09 season when they eventually lost 12-1 to rampaging Bayern Munich, meaning they are serious underdogs against City.