Pep Guardiola hopes Manchester City’s desire to be in FA Cup final will overcome fatigue
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola talking to Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji during their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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LONDON – Pep Guardiola knows his Manchester City players are worn out after their Champions League exertions
City take on Sheffield United in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium, with the winners booking their spot in the June 3 final against either Manchester United or Brighton & Hove Albion, who face off in the second semi on Sunday.
“It’s amazing to be here knowing we can reach a final,” manager Guardiola said on Friday.
“When you have this desire to still be there the fatigue converts to energy, something positive... The human being has an incredible ability to regenerate if the mind is positive.
“Last season we arrived here (in the semis), last three or four years, and we don’t perform well. One reason is the fatigue, this year we still have it. The Champions League quarter-final is so draining and we have to recover. Every season I have the feeling we’re not physically ready, hopefully this time we will be.”
City are probably tired as they are still in the running to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble this season.
Guardiola’s men are through to the Champions League semi-finals for the third consecutive year – they will next face Real Madrid – after beating German champions Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate on Wednesday.
They are also preparing for a top-of-the-table showdown with Arsenal in the Premier League next Wednesday, but will hope to first get the job done in the FA Cup.
Guardiola is wary that his team have not progressed from the FA Cup semi-finals for the past three seasons – losing to Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal – but they are up against lower-league opposition this time.
He will fancy his chances against the Blades, with City having won their last 21 domestic Cup ties against teams from the lower divisions, scoring 78 goals and conceding just 11.
They have also beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, Bristol City and Burnley in the previous rounds this season with an aggregate score of 14-0.
The odds are all in City’s favour and Guardiola is boosted by a fully fit but exhausted squad, with Nathan Ake the only injury absentee. Whether he will rotate is another question.
“After Munich they couldn’t even celebrate because they were so tired,” the Spaniard added.
“Of course they will lie and say they want to play but we will have to make sure they’re in the best condition. It’s not just this game but we have played many, many games every three, four days. It’s fatigue. We will have to see.”
The Blades are the clear underdogs but are doing well in the Championship and are on the verge of securing promotion to the Premier League. They are second in the second tier and need just one more win to confirm their return to the top flight.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men, however, head into Saturday’s clash having lost their last five FA Cup semi-finals, most recently in 2013-14 to Hull City.
“There is probably no one else on the planet thinking we’ll be in the final, but that’s not to say we can’t do it,” said the Blades boss.
“We have to approach the game with the intention of causing an upset.
“We are going to try to give a really, really good account of ourselves. We know who we are playing, we know their calibre of player and we need them to have an off day and we be at the top of our game.”
His side will be without the midfield loan duo of James McAtee and Tommy Doyle as they are ineligible to face their parent club.
