PSG Vs Manchester City UCL 28/04/21 8 PM - European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga)

 Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino says Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg with Manchester City will not be a personal battle with Pep Guardiola.

Pochettino oversaw victory against Guardiola's City in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2019.

The two also had many battles in the Premier League before Spurs sacked Pochettino later that year.

"It's not a personal battle, it's not a personal game," said Pochettino.

"It's a battle between two very good teams.

"When you talk about Pep Guardiola, you are talking about one of the best coaches in the world, if not the best. I admire Pep not only for the titles but the legacy that he is building in football."

Pick your combined PSG-Man City team

'We want to be in the elite of this competition'

Guardiola has led City into the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since he took charge in 2016.

He faces a tough challenge against last year's runners-up, who have beaten Barcelona and defending champions Bayern Munich this season.

Guardiola believes facing PSG offers his side the best chance to prove they deserve to be among the best in Europe.

"We are not in the elite of this competition, but we want to be there for sure," he said.

"The owners, when they took over, wanted to take us there in England first, and we are lucky to live where we are now.

"The Premier League is the most important one, but the Champions League is the nicest one, I think."

Guardiola has fully fit squad to choose from while PSG are expected to have 37-goal striker Kylian Mbappe, who went off injured against Metz at the weekend, fit to start.



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