Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City played with some fear in the first half against Hoffenheim but said they were more intense after the break, as they forced a late David Silva goal to secure a 2-1 win in their second Champions League Group F match.
City fell behind to a goal from Ishak Belfodil inside 60 seconds at the Rheine-Neckar-Arena and while Sergio Agüero soon equalised they had to wait until the 87th minute for Silva’s finish to claim victory.
In light of the home defeat by Lyon in City’s opening game, Guardiola was especially pleased. “After the last game it was so important that we didn’t lose. A win in Germany is always so complicated and we will learn so it’s a good three points because we fought against a lot of things,” he said, before admitting City were tentative before the break. “We played with a little bit of fear. We were more intense in the second half. They are so well organised defensively – it was not easy but at the end we found the right moment to win the game.”
Guardiola was unhappy at Leroy Sané being denied a penalty when Oliver Baumann appeared to pull him down in the second half but the City manager – who was serving a touchline ban when City lost to Lyon at the Etihad – refused to discuss this afterwards. “I don’t want to talk because if I do I will be in the tribune. I want to be on the bench with my players in the next game – on the bench.”
Guardiola reiterated his pre-game stance that having to struggle can help the team in the long run. “We have to live it like a club, for the players and myself it will be good,” he said. “This competition – if we are able to go through we’ll have learned about what we have to do to beat opponents, I’m pretty sure. It will be good for our future as a club, our performance today.”
