Pep Guardiola might have to gamble to meet Man City's Champions League aim

This is a massive week for Manchester City. On Sunday, they drew 2-2 with title rivals Liverpool, and tonight they play Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Then, this coming on Saturday they face Jurgen Klopp’s side for a second time in six days in the FA Cup semi-final.

A historic treble is still on the cards, but City need to be at their best between now and the end of the season to join the famous Manchester United side of 1999 in achieving this remarkable feat. It’s no secret that City have been building towards Champions League glory since the club was bought by Sheikh Mansour in 2008.

Back in June 2016, City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak outlined this vision in his end of season interview. He said: “We will provide the necessary resources for Pep [Guardiola] to build a team that has the ambition and the capability to go and win back this Premier League for us, to go as far as we can and try to win the Champions League.”

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In Guardiola, City have a proven winner. Across his 15-year managerial career, the Spaniard has amassed an incredible 32 trophies with four different teams.

And since arriving in Manchester in 2016, Guardiola has won 10 trophies. However, the pinnacle of club competition is an accolade that has evaded him since he last won it with Barcelona in 2011.

Despite spending three years at German giants Bayern Munich, the Spaniard was unable to achieve success in this competition during his time in Germany either. City came close last season, agonisingly losing to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in the final.

History shows that sides often bounce back to win the Champions League not long after being