Manchester City thrashed RB Leipzig 6-3 to kick off their Champions League campaign in winning fashion. However, Pep Guardiola was witnessed losing his cool with his players due to them not tracking back enough.
Guardiola was livid at wingers Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez for not tracking back and performing their defensive duties. On the touchline, he was seen visibly rebuking his players to track back otherwise they would be conceding more goals.
Mahrez tried to talk it out with the coach, but he was stopped in his tracks by Guardiola’s rage. This goes to show what kind of quality the Spaniard demands from each and every player on his team, even if they are winning by a fair margin.
‘We spoke in half-time about the way we have to do it and they didn’t do it,’ Guardiola explained afterwards. ‘Fights happen.’
Jack Grealish: ⚽️🅰️
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 15, 2021
Riyad Mahrez: ⚽️
It doesn't matter how well you're playing, if you don't do your defensive duties Pep Guardiola will tell you all about it 😤#UCL pic.twitter.com/f9ZQFxaq4w
Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick for Leipzig in the game, the first for the German club in their history in the Champions League. But, City simply outscored them to win the game.
Guardiola also asked the fans to attend the game against Southampton this weekend after he was told that 17,000 seats were empty in the Etihad for the game against Leipzig.
‘We need the people, please, because we will be tired,’ he said.
‘I know the team from Ralph (Hasenhuttl) is quite similar, they way they play. They’re so dangerous and it’s a really important game.
‘So I invite all our people to come next Saturday at 3pm to watch.’
Fans are reportedly not pleased about the comments of their coach, but it cannot be discarded that the club has an issue with selling out the stadium regularly.
