Kevin De Bruyne says even Manchester City’s players are still being surprised by Pep Guardiola’s tactical innovations, after they helped secure a memorable Champions League win over Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.
De Bruyne’s penalty ensured City will take a 2-1 lead back to the Etihad for the second leg of their last-16 tie, after Gabriel Jesus had cancelled out Isco’s opener.
Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection, leaving Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, David Silva and Fernandinho on the bench for Wednesday night’s clash.
But mild shock turned to genuine bemusement when City lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Jesus on the left of midfield and De Bruyne paired with Bernardo Silva in false nine roles.
“I think in the four years we are here with Pep he sometimes has some surprises,” De Bruyne told BT Sport. “Even the players don’t really know until the game starts what we need to do!”
The result means City will be heavy favourites to reach the quarter-finals, as they look to claim a first Champions League title in the face of an impending two-year ban from the competition.
“I think it’s a very good start for the first game,” De Bruyne added. “It was a pretty even first half, we started the second half pretty well and the goal comes at a bad moment for us because we were dominating but our response was brilliant.”
