Man City wrapped up a fine first-leg against PSG in the Champions League semi-final but they will have no time to celebrate as they must now shift their focus to the Premier League.
City take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday and just a few days later they face PSG in the second leg at home. So naturally, Pep Guardiola will have a lot in mind. Even the manager has admitted that he and his side will have no time to rest in between games.
Guardiola said after the PSG game: “We’re going to have time to enjoy it a little bit, even if it’s not over. Obviously we have a big second-leg at home, but today we’re going to drop a little bit the pressure and enjoy, have food, sleep, and then tomorrow we’re going to concentrate on Crystal Palace.”
Man City are just a few steps away from reclaiming the Premier League but such a tight fixture list is really difficult to handle at this time of the season which is why some pundits have argued that fatigue and mental exhaustion could play a really big part in determining the outcome of Saturday’s game.
Riyad Mahrez though is adamant that tiredness is not going to be a factor for him or his teammates during the last few months of the season.
Mahrez said after the PSG win: “I love playing every three days. I love it. We go again, Friday, we go to London, play Saturday against Crystal Palace, come back and play against PSG.
“That’s the way you have to live your profession, your football. It’s very good. These type of stages, these type of important games, we’re not tired.
“We don’t think about tiredness. We just have to recover quick, and be focused on the next games.”
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Man City take on Palace in a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, something that is not ideal for a side that played PSG on Wednesday night.
Securing another top-flight stay means the Eagles have nothing more to play for this season, something that has been reflective in their performances over the past couple of weeks.
So, we expect Roy Hodgson’s side to take it easy this weekend and given the enormous talent that Guardiola has in their squad, Man City should see this one through, even with a heavily rotated starting line-up.
