Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged his squad to reset quickly and brace themselves for what he calls two decisive “finals” in their pursuit of Champions League progression.
His warning comes on the back of a bruising weekend in which his side slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United, a result that has tightened the pressure on the Sky Blues ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.
City return to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening to host Bayer Leverkusen in a match that Guardiola insists carries knockout-level significance.
The Catalan coach, normally measured in his language when discussing group-stage mathematics, did little to downplay the stakes this time.
Instead, he underscored the need for absolute focus, insisting that six points from their next two home games would define their continental campaign.
He emphasised that the rhythm and mentality of Champions League football leave little room for emotional hangovers, and the team must shift their attention fully towards securing qualification.
With four fixtures left to play in the league-phase format, the margin for error has narrowed dramatically.
City have yet to find the smooth fluency that has characterised their best Champions League runs under Guardiola, but the manager insisted his squad remain equipped to respond when pressure intensifies.
The responsibility, he noted, lies in turning the Etihad into a fortress over the next two matchdays.
Leverkusen only lost once in the competition so far, while Galatasaray—who also travel to Manchester later this month—have proven stubborn opponents throughout the campaign.
Two home games Guardiola calls “finals”
Guardiola broke from his typically analytical tone when speaking about the Leverkusen fixture, choosing instead the vocabulary of knockout football.
“Tomorrow is a real final,” Guardiola declared, signalling to his players and supporters alike that the stakes have escalated.
The manager expanded on his reasoning, stressing that the compacted league-phase format of the Champions League this season places heightened importance on every remaining match.
With Real Madrid and Bodø/Glimt waiting in the final two rounds, City need to accumulate points quickly to avoid entering those meetings under severe pressure.
He outlined the roadmap plainly. The matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray, both at the Etihad, represent City’s best opportunity to seize control of their European destiny.
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Anything less than back-to-back home victories would leave qualification dependent on results elsewhere—a scenario Guardiola is keen to avoid.
His full quote captured his stance succinctly: “Tomorrow is a real final,” Guardiola declared, adding that “These two games at home [Bayer Leverkusen & Galatasaray]; if we’re able to make six points at home and take something away in the last two games we have [Real Madrid & Bodø/Glimt], we’ll be close to qualifying in the first-eight.”
Guardiola’s insistence on treating the matches as finals is also a strategic psychological move.
City’s players have built their reputation on thriving in decisive moments—domestic title run-ins, late-season Champions League ties, and high-pressure knockout games. By framing the fixtures this way, he aims to activate that same sense of urgency earlier in the competition.
The challenge will be considerable. Leverkusen enter the tie in superb form, playing some of their most fluid football under their current setup.
They have been direct, organised and efficient in Europe, habits that often translate well in away games.
Guardiola acknowledged their strengths indirectly, noting that City must impose themselves early and reduce the risk of allowing the visitors the confidence to dictate passages of play.
Should City achieve the six-point haul Guardiola demands, their remaining matches—away to Real Madrid and at home to Bodø/Glimt—would carry far less jeopardy.
Guardiola admitted that taking “something” from those games would then be enough to secure a place in the top eight of the league-phase standings.
