Manchester City play host to Monaco in UEFA Champions
League Round of 16 play today.It’s the first time these
teams have met in competitive play. Both teams are in the
hunt to reach their second quarter-finals.
This is the first leg of the two-leg series.
They’ll meet again
in Monaco on March 15.Monaco got this far after finishing
first in Group E, while Manchester City comes in from the
second spot in Group C behind FC Barcelona
Leonardo Jardim, Monaco Manager
.
Pep Guardiola believes Monaco’s free-flowing attacking
style is the key ingredient in Radamel Falcao’s late career
resurgence ahead of his Manchester City side tackling the
Ligue 1 leaders in the Champions League.
Leonardo Jardim’s side will head to the Etihad Stadium on
Tuesday having topped a group featuring Bayer Leverkusen
and Tottenham, and buoyed by an astonishing 76 goals in
26 top-flight matches domestically.
“At Atletico Madrid he did an amazing job before his
injuries. Always you need time for the tough injuries he
had,” Guardiola said at a news conference to preview the
last-16 clash.
“The system, the way Monaco play now is perfect for him.
They attack inside and cross a lot.
“Players like him need that. He is a good professional, a
nice guy and I am happy he is back at his level scoring
goals.”
City have kept four clean sheets in their past five matches
but Guardiola knows Falcao and his partners-in-crime
Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva, Valere Germain and teenage
protege Kylian Mbappe are likely to throw the defensive
vulnerabilities that have plagued his side this season.
back under the microscope.
“A team that attacks with Lemar, Bernardo Silva and
Falcao… they attack with a lot of people, which is why you
cannot control the counter attack. They are so, so strong in
that area,” he added.
