Guardiola warns against complacency

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has warned his team not to underestimate Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday. 

Despite going into the game as clear favourites after an unbeaten start to the season, Guardiola is taking nothing for granted against the Scottish champions.

Both sides enjoyed differing fortunes in the first round of Champions League fixtures, with City beating Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 and Celtic going down 7-0 in Barcelona. 

“Many teams suffer what happened in Barcelona. Of course, seven goals is a lot of goals, but Barcelona start quick and after, mentally, the players are upset with what happened. But tomorrow we are here. They will be focused,” Guardiola said at a news conference. 

“Tomorrow, the game starts at 0-0 and we will see from the first minute until the final whistle to see who is the better team.

“It is my first time here in Glasgow and everybody talks to me about the atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to that.

“It is only our second game in the Champions League and anything can happen.”

Guardiola revealed Kevin De Bruyne faces up to three weeks on the sidelines, and that Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph will also miss the game through injury. 

Manchester City have the opportunity to be the first English side to win their opening 11 games of the season since Tottenham Hotspur in 1960-61 with victory over Celtic, but defender Aleksandar Kolarov claimed his side are not focused on the record.

“Records are always nice but if we don’t win trophies at the end of the season, who remembers them?

“The records are there and someone will come and beat it – but if you don’t win the title, what are you going to do with the records? Nothing.”