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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
David McDonnell

Pep Guardiola reveals Kylian Mbappe and Neymar effect on Man City preparations

Pep Guardiola admitted Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have given him sleepless nights ahead of tonight's Champions League semi-final with PSG.

Manchester City travel to Paris for the first leg, with Guardiola admitting he has been awake at night, thinking about how to stop PSG's two star men.

“With the amount of quality these players have, there are no defensive strategies to stop them,” said Guardiola. “They are too good.

“I tried to sleep well last night and I slept well when I was not thinking of them. That's the reality.

“They are incredible, top, top players, that's why they play in that team with the quality they have.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will be key for PSG vs Man City (REUTERS)

“We're going to try to stop them and the way we're going to do that is to defend well together as a team, play good football as a team and try to score goals.

“Of course, we have to adjust something when you play against those players a little bit ,but at the same time we will try to impose, to be what we have been in these last five years together.

“We'll try to be ourselves and get the result we need for the second leg.”

City have reached the semi-finals for the first time under Guardiola and only the second time in their history, with the Catalan coach relaxed about the task ahead.

“Always in my career in this competition, when I arrive in the semi-finals, I was always calmer than in other competitions, other moments,” said Guardiola.

“I don’t know why, but I have the sense of the work well done already and I see the team so happy and in the right moment.

“I have that feeling, but in this competition, with the quality – you can win or lose. You never know.”

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