Pep Guardiola takes aim at Manchester United as Man City prep for Club Brugge fixture

Guardiola downplays Man United clash

Pep Guardiola is set to lead Manchester City against Club Brugge tomorrow night at the Etihad Stadium as the City look to edge closer to qualifying for the round of 16 in the Champions League with a win.

City rests just one point behind Group A leaders Paris Saint-Germain while they sit two points ahead of their upcoming opponents, and garnering a result against the Belgian giants is of the utmost importance to Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola on #ManCity vs Club Brugge: “This game is much more important than the United game.” [via @DomFarrell1986]

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) November 2, 2021

According to Dom Farrell – Man City fan brands editor at Reach – Guardiola rates Wednesday nights clash ahead of the weekend fixture that see’s Manchester bragging rights on the line as City travel to Old Trafford to clash with rivals Manchester United.

Guardiola continued;

“We make incredible runs, 100 points, 98 points, last season 21 wins in a row. Never at the start I think we win 21 in a row. Just focussed on winning against Brugge. Depends on doing many good things to give you the chance to win games.”

City must bounce back against United

While Guardiola rates the Club Brugge clash ahead in importance over the Manchester Derby, what is sure is that City need an immediate bounce back in form against the Red Devils in the vein of a three-point haul if they are to avoid slumping behind leaders Chelsea early in the season.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 30: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St. James Park on November 30, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The frustrating loss against Crystal Palace at the weekend now sees City trail Chelses by five points and already off the pace in the expected three-way title challenge also involving second-place Liverpool, and level on 20-points with a West Ham outfit that cntinue to defy expectations under David Moyes.

Despite downplaying the upcoming weekend joust, the United match remains massively important for both outfits, with a win on either side of the scale significantly changing the landscape for the pair.

City were on an eight-match unbeaten run in the league before the shock result and time will tell quite soon if the home loss was a blip on the radar of a genuine downturn in domestic form.