{"id":527048,"date":"2026-03-16T15:21:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/527048\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:21:11","slug":"pep-guardiola-reveals-reasons-behind-surprising-decision-to-give-man-city-stars-the-day-off-ahead-of-champions-league-second-leg-against-real-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/527048\/","title":{"rendered":"Pep Guardiola reveals reasons behind surprising decision to give Man City stars the day off ahead of Champions League second leg against Real Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JACK GAUGHAN<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 06:58 EDT, 16 March 2026 | Updated: 09:49 EDT, 16 March 2026 <\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola<\/a> has taken the surprise step of affording Manchester City<\/a>‘s stars the day off before they play Real Madrid<\/a> in a bid to clear their minds.<\/p>\n

Defeat at the Bernabeu means City trail 3-0 in the Champions League<\/a> last-16 tie and their Premier League<\/a> aspirations took a dent at West Ham<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 1-1 draw in East London on Saturday night now leaves them nine points adrift of Arsenal<\/a> and there is also a mountain to climb if City are to progress in Europe.<\/p>\n

Guardiola made the decision to give the players a day off in the aftermath of West Ham and has said anybody who doesn’t believe they can overturn the deficit with Real on Tuesday should ‘stay at home’.<\/p>\n

\u2018The way you play is as much about the mentality being strong and if you don’t play good,\u2019 Guardiola said.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you are weaker then you don\u2019t play good. We were in Madrid, travel here, day after here no training, went to London, arrived back here on Sunday at 2.30am.<\/p>\n

\u2018Today you cannot do anything because the players who played are still at home and tomorrow we train.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Real <\/p>\n

Real Madrid hammered Manchester City 3-0 in Spain last week, leaving Pep Guardiola’s men with a mountain to climb in Manchester this week<\/p>\n

\u2018We will not have to train something but do repetition. The training won’t improve us a lot. I prefer them to be at home.\u2019<\/p>\n

It is not the first time Guardiola has made the move this season, with no training the day before facing Borussia Dortmund prompting surprise.<\/p>\n

City went on to hammer the Germans 4-1, Phil Foden scoring a brace either side of half-time.<\/p>\n

There was also a day\u2019s break ahead of the dramatic 5-4 victory at Fulham in December, coming three days after a draining last-gasp win over Leeds United.<\/p>\n

The team has occasionally trained on the morning of matches in the past to run through final drills \u2013 and City will meet at 2pm before Real\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n

\u2018I’m not much concerned about the chances we are going to create, we are always able to do it at home,\u2019 Guardiola added.<\/p>\n

\u2018It’s more about how we are going to defend. The task is massive – to score more than three goals against Madrid is not easy but we are here, it is a football game, everything can happen and we have to create as much momentum as possible with our people and do a good game and defend well.\u2019<\/p>\n


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