Pep Guardiola felt Manchester City were too shy in the first half of their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain but was delighted to come away with a 2-1 win.
Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez were on target as City pulled off a brilliant second-half comeback to take control of the semi-final tie.
Mauricio Pochettino, who had dumped Guardiola’s Man City out at the quarter-final stage with Tottenham in 2019, looked on course to do the same again during the first half, when his PSG skipper Marquinhos headed the hosts into a deserved lead. City struggled to get a grip on Neymar but played with much more purpose after the break.
De Bruyne and Mahrez grabbed the two away goals for City against last season’s finalists to leave them in a fantastic position ahead of the second leg next Tuesday.
Although no English side in Champions League history has lost a knockout game having won the first leg on 47 occasions, Guardiola had a clear message for his City players as they try to reach the club’s first Champions League final.
“If we play shy and not who we are, then anything can happen as they have the quality to turn it around,” he said.
“But if we play with quality like we did in the second half maybe we’ll have the chance to reach the final.
“The first 15 minutes at Borussia Dortmund was the same, the first half at home vs Dortmund was the same. Everyone had the desire but we have to learn. It’s just the second time in our history we’re at this stages. Nearly 80 per cent of the players have never played in a Champions League semi-final. It’s not like other teams. It’s a process. I have to convince them that when we are who we are everything will be easier. Hopefully that will happen in the next game.
“You have to be aggressive against these big stars or you can’t do it. When we’re more aggressive doing a good intensity, we were different. We can be more aggressive and fluid.
“I was happy in the locker room after the players were just calm. Not cheering, just calm. Anything can happen in the second leg. Now we go to Crystal Palace to make an important step in the Premier League.”
