UCL: Guardiola hails Man City’s spirit ahead of clash with Sparta Prague

Pep Guardiola has lauded the determination and hunger of his Manchester City players following their dramatic last-minute victory against Wolves, as they prepare for their upcoming Uefa Champions League match against Sparta Prague on Wednesday.

Man City, unbeaten so far this season, secured a vital win thanks to John Stones’ 95th-minute goal at Molineux on Sunday, keeping them within reach of Premier League leaders Liverpool. City head into the match with four points from their first two group-stage games in the revamped Champions League—after a 0-0 draw with Inter Milan and a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava.

Competing in Europe’s elite club competition for the 14th consecutive season, City has continued to dominate domestically, winning four consecutive Premier League titles. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Guardiola praised his team’s resilience, noting the passion and energy his players demonstrated in the win against Wolves.

“The way we celebrated when we scored against a team at the bottom (Wolves) in October, not May or April, shows me that the team still has the passion,” Guardiola said. “How we celebrated in the locker room, I still feel ‘OK, they still want it, we are still there,’ and that means a lot to me.”

Guardiola also highlighted the challenge of maintaining consistency over the long term, especially given the team’s impressive success over the past six to seven years. “You can be consistent for a month or a season, but to do it for six, seven years and still be there—that’s really difficult, but we’re still in that position,” he added.

The City manager expressed confidence in his squad despite the absence of key midfielder Rodri, who is out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. Guardiola stressed the importance of making the most of their home advantage against Sparta Prague, with challenging away fixtures against Sporting Lisbon, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain still to come.

Under this season’s new Champions League format, only the top eight teams from the 36-team group stage will automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, making every match crucial. “It is not easy,” said Guardiola.

“The games we have at home, we have to close them out; otherwise, it’ll be difficult to finish in the first eight, and that’s the target we want to achieve.”