MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola claimed he can learn from Southampton manager Russell Martin after the Premier League’s bottom side made Manchester City sweat for their 1-0 win on Saturday.
Despite failing to win a single league match this season, Southampton frustrated City for long spells at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland’s fifth-minute opener could have been the signal for a City rout, but Southampton stuck to Martin’s principles and made life challenging for the champions.
Cameron Archer hit the crossbar on the stroke of half-time and City missed several chances to deliver a knockout blow.
Impressed by Martin’s tactics, Guardiola said: “Today it was not how Southampton defend deep it was how good they play with the ball with the keeper and the movement.
“It’s a good game to learn as a manager. I am going to learn a lot with Russell because they did really well. We were humble and accepted that they did really well.”
Unbeaten City sit top of the table, but will surrender first place to Liverpool if Arne Slot’s team win at title rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Guardiola will be keeping an eye on that result while he digests the lessons of a hard-fought clash with lowly Southampton.
“I’m a big believer for the process to the build-up. I prefer the players get the ball to the feet, not the teeth,” he said.
“When that happens it’s because it was an incredible process. We were not sloppy, we were not flat but we struggled to regain the ball because they are really good.
“I’m a spectator, when I see the opponent do the things I like to do with my team and they do it really well, I make a compliment. I’m sure I will learn. Some movements, the reasons why they do it.”
After narrow wins over Fulham, Wolves and Southampton in their last three league games, Guardiola made a point of praising the Premier League’s depth of talent.
“It’s not easy, but we created enough chances to win better. I like to win in that way, as it proved in the last two games against Wolves and Southampton, who right now are bottom of the league and look how difficult,” he said.
“I don’t have any complaints about my team because when the opponent is good you have to accept it. This is what happened.”
Guardiola vows to learn from rock-bottom Southampton after tight win
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Guardiola vows to learn from rock-bottom Southampton after tight win
- Despite failing to win a single league match this season, Southampton frustrated City for long spells at the Etihad Stadium
Barcelona blitz Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book place in Super Cup Final
- In a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval
- Raphinha scores a brace with goals on either side of half-time
JEDDAH: It did not look like the easiest opening 20 minutes for Barcelona in Jeddah during their encounter with Athletic Bilbao. Yet in a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval.
More than 50,000 fans packed the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to witness the spectacle, although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal were rested, allowing opportunities for youngsters like Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez.
Lopez would emerge as one of the standout performers of the night. While his threat inside the box was evident, it was his creativity that truly shone in front of the Jeddawi crowd.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. A sweeping move from side to side ended with Raphinha finding Bardghji on the right, whose cutback was met by Lopez before being laid off for Ferran Torres to finish calmly for 1-0.
Just eight minutes later, an exquisite backheel from Pedri released Raphinha down the left flank once again, with his low cross this time finding López to double Barcelona’s advantage.
Lopez contributed to his third goal of the night minutes later, this time slipping Bardghji down the right. The Kuwaiti-born winger skipped past Adama Boiro before striking at goal, with Unai Simon mishandling the ball as it trickled over the line.
The Blaugrana showed no signs of slowing down. Raphina finally got on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion with a belter into the top corner in the 38th minute.
To the surprise of many, neither side made any changes at the break. That decision quickly proved costly for Bilbao, as Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0.
With the contest beyond reach, Athletic head coach Ernesto Valverde rang the changes, making five substitutions to give minutes to his squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, eased off to conserve energy ahead of Sunday’s final. To the delight of the crowd, both Rashford and Yamal were introduced, with Yamal receiving a warm standing ovation upon his entrance in the 72nd minute.
The emphatic victory marks Barcelona’s second consecutive five-goal display in the Spanish Super Cup, following last year’s 5-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the final.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday, as Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid, with the winner set to meet Barcelona in Sunday’s final.
