‘Oh no’, ‘Baldy at it again’, ‘We are finished’ – Man City fans react as Pep Guardiola explains why he overthinks in Champions League games

Pep Guardiola has admitted he can sometimes overthink tactics, ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.

The Catalan coach won the Champions League twice in his first three years in management but did not manage to lift the trophy in three attempts with Bayern and has fallen on five occasions with City.

Guardiola has developed an unwelcome reputation for tinkering with his team too much in big European games – such as last year’s final against Chelsea, when he dropped Rodri for the showpiece occasion in Porto.

Concocting a plan to defeat Simeone will be at forefront of Guardiola’s mind, and speaking in his pre-match conference on Monday, the former Barcelona coach admitted he can become consumed with his approach to these games.

“In the Champions League, always I overthink, create new tactics and new ideas and tomorrow you will a see one,” the City manager told reporters, with a wry chuckle.

“I overthink a lot. It’s absolutely [fair], that’s why I’ve had very good results in the Champions League,” Guardiola continued.

“It would be boring, my job, if all the time I had to win the same way. Opponents have different ways to play. If people think I’ll approach it the same way as Atletico Liverpool, I don’t think about that.

“The movements of Liverpool are completely different than Atletico Madrid especially because every player is different, every player a has mother and father with different personalities. I have to adapt.

“That’s why I love to overthink with stupid tactics, and if I don’t win I look stupid. Tonight I will take inspiration and do incredible tactics tomorrow. We’ll play with 12 tomorrow.”

The Guardiola’s comments were shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters.

“Oh no 😂”
Credit: @MosesOnduso5

“We are finished”
Credit: @Faraz_MCI

“Baldy is at it again”
Credit: @LightMe345

“This bald guy scares me so much”
Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“Please baldy please just put out a normal line up.”
Credit: @MCFC_Trey

“Overthinking Baldy take over tomorrow. It’s not gonna be good”
Credit: @KevinDeFab

“Pep’s such a troll, I love it 😂 .”
Credit: @PepoIogy

“It’s true though. He overthinks all the time but when we win, no one questions it 😂.”
Credit: @ItsYanCity

“No way he actually said this”
Credit: @mat_mcfc

“Hasn’t he realized that all his overthink has cost us every single UCL trophy since he’s been here? He should just put out a line up and tactics that he’d put out against Southampton or Leeds.”
Credit: @OjMcfc