Guardiola: I’ve read Real Madrid are already in the final

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola was very critical with Spanish media in a press conference prior to the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid.

“To reach the final in Lisbon we’ll have to score more than one goal, although for what I’ve read in Madrid, they are already in the final and we’re not. It even looks like they’ve won the trophy already,” Guardiola said.

Asked about Los Blancos exhibition against Osasuna, the Spaniard claimed “Real Madrid are the same team before and after Osasuna’s match.”

“As always, I’ve got the highest respect for them. Nor even with the fastest defenders you can’t fight their speed. The best strategy is to keep them far from the penalty box. It’s a different thing if we play well and manage to keep them at the back, because this team is not made for defending during 90 minutes,” he added.

When asked about their rival’s possible line-up, Guardiola said he’s sure “Real Madrid will put all their strenght on the field,” thus suggesting he trusts Gareth Bale will return to the starting line-up alonside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

The Spanish manager also spoke about the recent critics to his possession-based style: “I only understand the football through being in possession of the ball. It was the way I was trained to play the game. That’s my idea, rather than having eight players running after the ball. I can’t do a different thing. I want the ball to create chances and I want us to be just as dominant as we were in Madrid, but more effective and aggressive, we must find the right balance,” he concluded.