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City want Champions League final return: Guendogan

Manchester City are determined to return to the Champions League final and will use their disappointment of losing last season's showpiece as motivation, midfielder Ilkay Guendogan said yesterday.

City reached their first Champions League final in May but lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

     CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
MAN CITY PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

Pep Guardiola's side can reach the last 16 of this season's competition tomorrow morning (Singapore time), when they host Paris Saint-Germain in their Group A clash and Guendogan is itching to go all the way this time.

 

 

"Having that game of the final last season still in our minds will give us some more motivation - even though it's not needed. Once you've been in the final, you always want to go back," the German told a news conference.

"I'll try my best to get to the final, whether it's this year or another."

PSG won their home match against City 2-0 in September. But Guardiola's side have won all their other games and top the group on nine points, one ahead of the French club.

Guardiola knows all too well the threat posed by PSG's Lionel Messi and praised his former player for still being lethal at 34.

"It's so difficult. Sometimes when he has the ball, you don't know what to do - not even he knows," Guardiola said. "I'm so happy he's still playing and the level he plays and the quality."

City attacker Jack Grealish missed last Sunday's 3-0 win over Everton, but could feature against PSG, while Kevin de Bruyne is still self-isolating following a positive Covid-19 test.

PSG defender Sergio Ramos, who had been plagued by a calf injury, is primed to play his first match in over six months after being named in the squad for the City game. - REUTERS

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