We're going to give everything and I feel we can win- Riyad Mahrez on home leg
The Cityzens have to overturn a 1-0 deficit at the Etihad next week against Spurs
Pep Guardiola's poor Champions League knockout away form continues as his side succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Premier League counterparts, Tottenham Hotspurs. The Lillywhites were playing their first European game in their new stadium and it was Heung-min Son who stepped up to the occasion and scored the solitary goal for Mauricio Pochettino's side after Hugo Lloris came up with a stunning save to deny Sergio Aguero from the penalty spot.
It is all to play for in the second leg at the Etihad with Spurs taking a goal advantage to the game. However Manchester City winger, Riyad Mahrez assures that the Citizens will be back in the home leg.
With a record of winning 23 home games out of 25 this season, Manchester City have an upper hand at home and the tie is far from over.
Mahrez who walked into the team due to injury to Bernardo Silva could not impact the attacking play enough to break the Spurs defence as he was slow to find a foothold in the game.
"At home, we are very good," he said. "We're going to give everything and I feel we can win."
"We will never put our heads down. It was a difficult game. Even if we drew we still have to win our game at home so it doesn't change our approach," assured the former Leicester City man.
It was cagey and closely contested affair with a lot of physical game going around and according to Mahrez, it was something which City expected from Spurs.
"Of course, it was a difficult game," he said. "We know Tottenham, a physical team, a lot of intensity. It was the game we expected," he concluded.
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Pep Guardiola also seemed very confident of overturning the tie at the Etihad and also heaped praises on Mahrez's performances on the night.
"In the second half, he [Mahrez] was really good. In the first half, he was isolated when he had the ball he did not have support in actions two-against-one and one-against-one," Guardiola said to Manchester Evening News.
"When David [Silva] and Sergio [Aguero] moved to the left side there was a problem but he was aggressive and he delivered good crosses.
"We are going to put more people in the box next game - or maybe not, We will see!
Despite the loss Guardiola backed his team and was happy with their performances and trust them to come back next week at home.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]"I know how good they play long balls, second balls when they attack. They are a team who play more with transitions and more with physicality because they are strong, and we played so good", Guardiola further added.
Now only time will tell whether Pep Guardiola will come up with another overturn at the home leg or will it be Tottenham Hotspurs breaking all the shackles and progressing to the last four of the Champions League.
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