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Club Brugge? “The most important game of the week,” said Pep Guardiola. That is certainly not wrong, especially when you know that the derby with United is on the agenda next weekend. Meanwhile, Guardiola also spoke about Kevin De Bruyne’s situation: he seems to be struggling with a form crisis at the moment. “If you millions matches, you know highs and lows.”
Junior Verbeeke
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An English colleague wanted to know whether Pep will rotate. The derby against Manchester United is scheduled for next weekend, and that is a different caliber compared to a match against Club Brugge. “But the match against Bruges is the most important at the moment,” Guardiola surprised. “In the Premier League we have so many matches, in the Champions League there are barely six. And now only three, by the way. We have to take that exceptional opportunity on Wednesday to qualify for the next round, because we have already lost against PSG.” Guardiola does not immediately expect that his team will easily put five in the basket tomorrow. “It will be a very different game”, Pep shook. “I’m sure their coach will adapt everything to play us better. That is why we will have to be very sharp. The upcoming matches in Europe are decisive: that is why we must take this match seriously and not think about what happened in Bruges two weeks ago.”
“Kevin has our support”
Of course Kevin De Bruyne was also discussed. Last weekend KDB was replaced early, and the Red Devil has also been struggling with a lesser form. Is Pep worried? “Listen: if you have a long career, with millions of matches (sic.), then you have highs and lows”, Guardiola shrugged. Guardiola did not drop whether he will play against Club. There is a chance that KDB may blow out a match before that all-important derby. “Kevin has our full support to get back to the top level: he knows that too. And nobody knows better than Kevin himself that things have to get better. We will work on that together. He has been playing at the highest level for eight to nine years, with only three weeks of vacation a year. Then players get tired, that’s just logical. I am confident that he will return to the best level soon.”
City is not in the best period by the way: in the Caraboa Cup they lost to West Ham, last weekend KDB and co lost at home against Crystal Palace. “But I’m not worried at all. What’s more, I think we’ve reached an impressive level lately, maybe the best ever since I got here,” said Guardiola. “But in football, circumstances can affect results: we saw that against Palace. I still wonder why Laporte got red. Again, I think we’re doing a great job. I also said that after our match in Bruges, where the defensive was less at times. Now it’s time to start a new series. Hopefully already against Club, although we don’t underestimate that match at all.”
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