Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City’s bid to land the Champions League in Lisbon will be like the World Cup.
After beating Real Madrid, City face French side Lyon in the quarter-finals of the mini-tournament at Sporting Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium next Saturday.
It’s a one-game shoot-out for a place in the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition and Guardiola says: “It’s quite similar to a World Cup.
“Before, it was last-16, quarter-final and semi-final with two games in each round and now every game is a final.
“You are in, or you are out. So we will see a final against Lyon, there are no second chances or mistakes.
“We are looking forward to it, we are going to prepare well and will try to go through.”
Guardiola insists he will make sure his stars have “fun” in Lisbon – despite the pressure to win City’s first Champions League title.
“I think when you arrive at this stage and you see the desire the players have to go through or win this competition, it is just to have fun” says the City boss.
“We cannot stay nine or ten days like we will be away in Portugal staying in the room just waiting for the moment to play.
“We are going to Portugal to enjoy the country of Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva to stay there, eat well, be together, laugh a lot, work a lot, and arrive in the best moment and try and achieve for the second time in our history the semi-final of the Champions League.”
But it’s looking unlikely striker Sergio Aguero will make be fit for the tournament as he recovers from a kneww injury suffered against Burnley on June 22.
Guardiola said: “Sergio is in Barcelona – he’s getting better we know, but is still there so I don’t know when he will join up with us.
“Hopefully he will be in Portugal with us but tomorrow is tomorrow.
“We will speak with the doctors. That’s when we will see what the situation is.”
