Pep Guardiola explains heated exchanges with Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish
Pep Guardiola has explained why he berated both Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish during Manchester City’s Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
The manager was visibly angry with the attacking pair, who both scored as Manchester City survived a free-scoring encounter 6-3.
Guardiola revealed that he was unhappy with the way in which Mahrez and Grealish went about their defensive work.
“We spoke in half-time about the way we have to do it and they didn’t do it,” Guardiola explained to BT Sport. “Fights happen.
“[Leipzig] are so good, they make four players in the build up to attract you behind the holding midfielders where there aren’t a lot of players, where the ball goes outside and they are so fast when they attack in behind.
“It’s not easy to control it but when you regain that ball there are many players in front of the ball and in the transition to make one or two passes in behind you have a chance to attack.”
Mahrez converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time before Grealish marked his Champions League debut with a fine goal.
There were also goals for Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus as Manchester City, runners up last season, began their Champions League campaign well.
They top Group A after matchweek one after Paris Saint-Germain were held by Club Bruges.
Guardiola’s side next face Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl used to manage Leipzig, and Grealish revealed that he could not divulge the specifics of Guardiola’s frustration in case the Spaniard wishes to employ similar tactics against Hasenhuttl’s side.
“That was just defensive work,” Grealish explained to BT Sport. “I won’t go too much into it because he might want the same tactics at the weekend.
“That’s what the manager is like - he’s always wanting more defensively and offensively.
“He’s obviously someone that I’m going to listen to after everything he’s done in the game. He’s just giving out useful information.”
Jack Grealish earns Pep Guardiola praise after Man City hit Leipzig for six in Champions League
