Pique: Guardiola turning City into Barcelona

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique feels Manchester City’s style of play is very similar to that of the Catalans following the arrival of Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola returns to Camp Nou on Wednesday for only the second time as City and Barca put their unbeaten start to Champions League Group C on the line.

The former Bayern Munich boss replaced Manuel Pellegrini as the man in charge at the Etihad Stadium after three years in Germany, and Pique feels the former Barca coach has already made a major impact.

“These games are big matches, games in which we need to give the most. We will be playing against a very different City to the one from previous seasons,” Pique said at a media conference on Tuesday.

“Pep is in charge and has changed things. I think City are a different team to last year and all the years they came here with Pellegrini. Their style is different. They pressure high. I think they try to play more or less like us. Pep understands football the way we do. It will be a very challenging game and I hope we can win.

“Pep marked all of us who worked under him. We understand football in a different way ever since he was with us. He changed the history of the football club. 

“The game will be a challenge. City play very similar to us. They will be pressuring. It will be a good challenge to demonstrate we are still on top by winning.

“We are in this group to try to be first. In order to reach this goal we need to win. If we win we are almost through and City will be five points behind us. We will have a good margin.”