Guardiola reaches Champions League 100-game mark with Man City while Barcelona returns to Chelsea

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola, who has never coached in a European competition game below Champions League level, took charge of Manchester City for the 100th time on Tuesday.

City host Bayer Leverkusen looking for a 14th consecutive win at home against German teams, extending a run that started before Guardiola’s arrival in 2016.

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Guardiola has now doubled his tally of 50 Champions League games while coaching Barcelona, ​​where he won two titles in four seasons. At Bayern Munich he coached 36 Champions League games over three seasons, all of which ended in the semi-finals. City won one title in the Guardiola era and lost the 2021 final to Chelsea.

Also on Tuesday, Barcelona returned to Chelsea where it famously – and infamously for home fans – reached the final in Guardiola’s first season in 2009.

Stamford Bridge will pit the number 11 team against the number 12 team in the 36-team standings, with both Chelsea and Barcelona heading into the qualifying playoffs at the midpoint of the eight-round league stage.

It’s No. 36 versus No. 35 in Tuesday’s early kick-off, when Ajax host Benfica and look to see either of the former European champions earn a point at at least the fifth attempt.

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Galatasaray, without injured Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, who is currently the Champions League top scorer, hosts Union Saint-Gillois in the other opening game.

Juventus travels to the Arctic Circle to face Bodø/Glimt where temperatures are expected to be slightly above zero.

Furthermore, it is Borussia Dortmund-Villarreal, Marseille-Newcastle United, Napoli-Qarabag and Slavia Prague-Athletic Bilbao.

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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer



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68 thoughts on “Guardiola reaches Champions League 100-game mark with Man City while Barcelona returns to Chelsea”

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