Marcus Thuram player profile: Borussia, injury, contracts
FootballGuardiola Breaks Silence on His Team Selection After Champions League Final Heartbreak
- Guardiola insisted he chose his best squad for the Champions League final
- The Spaniard earned some criticism for not starting an experienced holding midfielder against Chelsea on Saturday, May 29
- Chelsea took full advantage of City’s lack of command in midfield through their maestro N’golo Kante
- The Man City boss defended his team selection, saying he believed in the quality of his players
PAY ATTENTION: Help us change more lives, join TUKO.co.ke’s Patreon programme
Pep Guardiola insists he “chose the best squad” for the Champions League final despite losing out to Chelsea on Saturday, May 29.
City lost 1-0 to the London outfit as Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game in a clash where Guardiola’s side were surprisingly on the back foot most of the time.
N'Golo Kante scooped the man of the match honours as a result of commanding the midfield at the expense of a Manchester City side which lacked some experience and expertise in the area on the day.
One of the key surprises when the line ups were announced was the absence of captain Fernandinho and holding midfielder Rodri.
Instead, Guardiola opted for more attack-minded midfielders like Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva at the centre of the park.
Speaking after the game, the Spaniard was in pragmatic mood as he tried to make sense of his team selection.
"I did the best in the selection.” He started.
"Against Lyon [in 2020] like it was against PSG, Dortmund, I tried the selection the best to win the game. The players know it, I think Ilkay Gundogan played good, we were exceptional."
Chelsea took full advantage of City’s setup which clearly lacked any cover in midfield, with Mason-Mount’s defence-splitting pass for Kai Havertz’s goal summing up the better team in terms of selection.
When asked if he had any regrets on his team selection at the Estádio do Dragão, Guardiola instead opted to praise Chelsea.
Tebogo Langerman's cars, net worth, houses, wife and salary
Football"I don't know - the decisions I made, the players did everything to try to win the game." He said.
Chelsea boss Tuchel himself expressed surprise after the game that Fernandinho was not selected in the starting XI.
"I expected Fernandinho in the line-up. He chose a very offensive, technical line-up, very hard to steal the ball and recover the ball. Everything else we pretty much expected,” Tuchel observed.
"I think the game was exceptional, the first time we are here."
Was Guardiola suffering from a Tuchel hangover?
Having already been beaten twice in two different competitions by Tuchel, Man City’s team selection on the night gave the feeling that perhaps Guardiola had overthought the occasion.
Notably, Guardiola has a cheeky reputation of trying to tinker his squad in a bid to outfox his opponents.
He started different squads for the FA Cup semis against Tuchel and rotated again in the Premier League encounter in May, losing on both occasions.
AFCON 2022: start date, fixtures, groups, teams to watch out for, venues
FootballFor the Champions League final, he once again altered his formation, and it proved costly.
Tuchel’s approach was rather ‘humble’ as he started six players traditionally thought to be defensive-minded, with Havertz, Mason Mount and Timo Werner tasked with attacks on the counter.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly