Pep Guardiola has defended his decision to not make any changes during Man City’s draw with RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
The Premier League champions were held to a 1-1 draw with the Bundesliga side after Josko Gvardiol cancelled out Riyad Mahrez’s first-half strike for the visitors.
A plethora of Man City’s stars – including Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez – watched from the bench as Guardiola opted against a substitution and the coach later explained his reasoning for doing so.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola said: ‘I have the opportunity to have five substitutions, I am the manager I apply and take it if I want.
‘It doesn’t mean if I have the substitutions I have to do the substitutions. I’m a so good manager to decide what I have to do or not.’
The Spanish manager hinted that he was close to bringing England star Foden into the match after Gvardiol’s second-half equaliser but opted against doing so.
He explained: ‘I was really pleased with what I was seeing. With Phil to have this talent to do this, after the goal I thought immediately to bring Phil but we took the game in our hands.’
Daily Mail