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Champions League: Pep Guardiola says Liverpool trio 'almost unstoppable'

Last updated on .From the section Man Citycomments50

Mohamed Salah scores against Manchester City
Mohamed Salah provided an assist and scored as Liverpool ended Manchester City's unbeaten run with a 4-3 on 14 January

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sees Liverpool's three-pronged forward line as "almost unstoppable".

The two sides meet in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Liverpool the only Premier League team to come close to matching City's scoring exploits.

Mohamed Salah has 37 goals this season but Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have added another 38 between them.

"It's not just Salah," said Guardiola. "Mane and Firmino, all three, they are almost unstoppable. They're fantastic."

Liverpool are the only side to have beaten runaway leaders City in the Premier League this season, winning 4-3 at Anfield on 14 January.

Guardiola delighted with performance after three-week break

Firmino, Mane and Salah scored three goals in nine minutes to give the Reds a 4-1 lead and Guardiola believes his City players must handle the atmosphere better when they return for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

"We lost a bit of control, we were involved in the environment of Anfield," he said.

"The way Liverpool play is so complicated for us. We know that. They are so quick, they are so good and it is tough.

"But it is the quarter-finals of the Champions League so we cannot expect, at that level, that something is going to be easy."

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50 comments

  • Comment posted by Leivapool, at 14:06 2 Apr 2018

    Should be 2 great games. City obvious favourites, but we've shown we can beat them, so here's hoping.

  • Comment posted by S, at 13:45 2 Apr 2018

    At least this is guaranteed decent, exciting football. Unlike the big red bus that is going and short trip across Manchester next weekend

  • Comment posted by hicky2012, at 15:08 2 Apr 2018

    2.
    Sorry but you are so wrong. Sterling in the form of his life, de Bruyne the same, Sane, Walker, Delph, Fernandinio all playing better than before, David Silva playing better than ever. Need I go on. Hopefully City will win over 2 legs, but if Liverpool play better and win then so be it. Whoever wins I want to win the final.
    Heres to a good couple of games played in the right way.

  • Comment posted by WonderBeard, at 14:00 2 Apr 2018

    Here's hoping we get a good spectacle, free from controversy.

  • Comment posted by Mishius, at 14:15 2 Apr 2018

    Should be two exciting games. It's a shame in a way that they meet in the quarters as I think they both would have been capable of getting through to the semis against other opponents.

  • Comment posted by SteH11, at 13:55 2 Apr 2018

    Will be 2 great matches full of goals, may the best team win!

    Just hope they're not spoiled by any refereeing mistakes.

  • Comment posted by Ultra Astrum, at 14:54 2 Apr 2018

    Liverpool’s forward line is fantastic, dynamic, fluid, & very hard to manage unless teams are set up to defensively (see Swansea away). But the same can be said about City’s.

    City shade it in defence too. Better keeper, better RB & if fit, Kompany is a supreme CB.

    Liverpool’s midfield is light years behind City though. Good, hard working, no guile.

    Heart wants Liverpool, head says City.

  • Comment posted by numptylad, at 14:12 2 Apr 2018

    Well, is Pep playing mind games or what? Salah is good, one of the best this season, but the defence is not that good, so I think City will shade it, but am looking forward to watching the first game on the box and the second at the Etihad.
    Obviously, want City to win, would accept defeat if the games are up to the standard they should be.
    Then, its of to take the title on Saturday.............

  • Comment posted by User0165231145, at 14:08 2 Apr 2018

    Utd fans watching this match be like; do you remember when Fergie was mgr.....

  • Comment posted by RebelSeven, at 15:04 2 Apr 2018

    Man City have almost coasted this year. The number of chances they have created is unbelievable. Liverpool may have a good front line but they are a long way short of this City team. Only result I can see in CL is a City win. Don't think Liverpool will have the defensive capabilities to cope with City's midfield & front three.

  • Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 14:56 2 Apr 2018

    Nice to see the manager of one club praising the players of another. Maybe this will catch on with the fans as well. That would be nice but I won’t hold my breath on these forums.

  • Comment posted by Sup, at 14:31 2 Apr 2018

    People complain about the amount of HYS on Man Utd, but are quick to turn a HYS NOT about them into one anyway.

  • Comment posted by latenitepoker, at 14:00 2 Apr 2018

    Football fans will be looking forward to these games, with the two most entertaining teams in the PL; partisan idiots won't be able to accept the result, whatever happens. The rest of the comments will prove this.

  • Comment posted by BillyMeredith, at 14:00 2 Apr 2018

    I’m guessing United fans will be doing some early Xmas shopping the next two mid weeks?

  • Comment posted by pinewood, at 15:49 2 Apr 2018

    I am a liverpool fan but I really really like Guardiola. If we weren't playing city and we were out I would definitely want them to win it. Rather than do what the pathetic Fergie or a Mourinho would do and moan about diving and put pressure on the ref, he takes a leaf of our own Bob Paisley's book and compliments their best players. Get them over confident. Brilliant, but won't work. Hopefully.

  • Comment posted by The Citizen, at 15:41 2 Apr 2018

    "Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne says the club's players are keen to clinch the Premier League title with a "historic" victory over rivals Manchester United in Saturday's derby. (Independent)"

    Who could forget the faces on TV from Old Trafford in 2012 after the news of the 94th minute goal came through from the City of Manchester Stadium (which is in Manchester) ...

    Agueroooooo!

  • Comment posted by Dancer, at 15:08 2 Apr 2018

    Liverpool front 3 unstoppable?

    But City get more from the rest of the team.

    Hopefully a great game, would've been happier for them to have met further into the competition like many I think.

    Could go either way

  • Comment posted by bayesian_boy, at 15:29 2 Apr 2018

    @24

    Why? He doesn't really mean it - its just some waffle to distract from answering real questions. He knows he has say 10 minutes to spend with the journalists so he mentions so harmless rubbish that'll eat up half of the time.

    The useless Brit sports press eat this rubbish up because it saves them having to think of meaningful questions and it basically writes itself and saves them work.

  • Comment posted by U16973447, at 14:32 2 Apr 2018

    I love Liverpool and I'd love us to go through, however as it get near to the tie am get nervous.

    Im hoping Liverpool win.

  • Comment posted by User0325579446, at 15:51 2 Apr 2018

    Pep thinks Salah and pals are almost unstoppable

    What would he say if they were drawn against Messi and Suarez ?

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