Pochettino reveals what Tottenham must do to beat Man City in the UCL

April 9, 2019 By Ali M.

Topics: Mauricio Pochettinno, Tottenham, Manchester City, English Premier League

The Argentine boss is preparing his side for a crucial European showdown with the Citizens in a highly-anticipated tie.

Tottenham is gearing up for a highly-anticipated Champions League clash with Man City later on Tuesday. This game will see two exciting English clubs battle it out, with a spot in the semi-finals at stake.

While Pochettino's team is a capable side, many tip Guardiola's men to progress due to their form. The Citizens are currently on a 14-game winning streak in all competitions and have beaten the north London giant on their already this season, winning 1-0 at Wembley in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, Spurs will fancy their odds of taking down Aguero and Co. Speaking ahead of the game, Pochettino even underlined his masterplan to beat Man City in Europe.

If you think Tottenham will play defensively and hit the Etihad Stadium side on the counter like many expect Man United to do against Barcelona, think again. Their Argentine boss insists that the only way to overcome the English top-flight champion is to beat them at their own game.

Guardiola's men are experts at pressing but Mauricio wants his players to take the game to them. The former Espanyol tactician, who admitted this will be "one of the most important games" in his managerial career, demands his players show some fight if they wish to end City's quadruple hopes.

“We need to make sure we match City’s motivation and desire,” Pochettino said (as per the Guardian).

“The first strength of City is not their quality. It’s their will to fight for every single ball. De Bruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Jesus, Agüero – before they start to play, they run and press and are aggressive. And then, because they have unbelievable quality, they can win more games than they lose.

“If we were not capable of matching Southampton and Burnley in terms of desire [in the recent league defeats], we were always going to struggle. You need massive talent if you are not able to run and fight.”

The first leg of this highly-anticipated showdown will take place in Spurs' new stadium. After beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in their first game there, Kane and Co. will hope to make it two wins out of two when their rival pays a visit.