Manchester, May 19 (IANS) Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is ‘absolutely’ confident that his team will secure UEFA Champions League qualification with just two games remaining in the season.
City are sixth in the table with two matches remaining, but if they beat Bournemouth, which is their game in hand, they would move into third spot ahead of a final-day away game at Fulham, with the top five making it to the Champions League next season.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked if he was confident of qualifying for the UCL. “Of course, it’s important. We have been the last 13, 14, 15 years in the Champions League but if we don’t, we don’t deserve it, and we will play the Europa League. I’m thinking we are going to qualify,” said Guardiola in the pre-game conference.
Guardiola also said Kevin De Bruyne’s full focus is on seeing City beat Bournemouth to boost their Champions League qualification hopes, rather than how much game time he will get against the Cherries.
City expended a lot of energy in the 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace, with 33-year-old captain De Bruyne playing over 100 minutes against the Eagles.
With the vital Etihad clash against Andoni Iraola’s team coming three days after that final defeat, Guardiola will have to assess the fitness of his Blues, who gave it everything to find an equaliser in the showpiece.
De Bruyne will be saying farewell to the home faithful at the game as he gets set to leave City at the end of the season. But the boss says his and his captain’s No.1 aim is for the team to get the three points needed to supercharge their UCL qualification ambitions.
“Kevin wants us to win the game to qualify for the Champions League next season. This is what Kevin wants. It could not be otherwise. I am going to decide the best, the best players to win the game against Bournemouth, that’s for sure.
“Kevin will get or deserve what he deserves. That is the best moment and the best compliment for his incredible trajectory and what he has done.
“I have said many times, without him and the other incredible legends in the club, it would not be possible what we have done these many, many years since Sheikh Mansour took over this club and ran this club to reach another level,” he added.
–IANS
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