UCL: Man City boss Guardiola jokes he may play ‘nine strikers’ in return leg against RB Leipzig

After being held to a 1-1 draw in Germany in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked that he could field “nine strikers” against RB Leipzig in the return leg next month.

Josko Gvardiol’s header cancelled out Riyad Mahrez’s opening, leaving the tie tense ahead of the second leg on March 14 at the  Etihad Stadium.

“I didn’t want to come here and lose 4-3. It will have to be more open in Manchester,” said Guardiola.

“Maybe in the second leg I will be crazy and decide to play with nine strikers. But I’ve coached in this country and I analysed Leipzig and I needed this type of control.”

However, Guardiola admitted City “could not compete” with the speed of German teams.

“We don’t have the team to compete with them with a lot of transitions, they are better than us and they are faster than us, except Kyle [Walker] and Erling [Haaland].”

“The pace they have, we don’t have it.”