Ilkay Gundogan says ‘special’ Manchester City are becoming like Barcelona under Pep Guardiola
Midfielder got a close-up view of Guardiola’s acclaimed Bayern Munich team for three years during his time at Dortmund
ILKAY GUNDOGAN can sense something “special” is happening at Manchester City — and has seen it somewhere before.
The midfielder got a close-up view of Pep Guardiola’s acclaimed Bayern Munich team for three years during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
And German international Gundogan, 27, is now starting to recognise some of those familiar hallmarks at the Etihad.
But he believes there are more similarities between City and Pep’s all-conquering Barcelona team — which could spell bad news for the Premier League and the rest of Europe if he is right.
Guardiola won 14 trophies during four glittering years at the Nou Camp, including two European Cups and three La Liga titles.
Gundogan said: “The way we play, the way we dominate opponents, it feels special and feels like it could be a very special season. The domination is like Bayern, yes, but it’s a different kind of game.
“The way we build up, with the quick short passes, feels a bit different from Bayern for me, or Real Madrid.
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“Maybe the most similar team would be Barcelona at their best with Pep.
“I wouldn’t say we are at their best yet but they were one of the best because of the way they dominated teams — and we are doing so now. I’m not sure if we are there yet. We still need to prove that in every game, every competition. We need to prove that with trophies.”
City look poised to put that right this season if their stunning run of results continues.
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They are unbeaten in 16 games in all competitions this season, racking up 14 wins and are already through to the Champions League last 16 after beating Napoli 4-2 on Wednesday.
And they are five points clear of Manchester United — who are led by Pep’s great rival Jose Mourinho — at the top of the Premier League.
The fit-again Gundogan was a key part of the stunning win in Naples — almost certainly their greatest performance on the road in Europe.
Sergio Aguero also broke City’s all-time scoring record in Naples with his 178th goal for the club. Whether City can turn their early-season form into silverware come May remains to be seen.
But £20.4million ace Gundogan has promised the fans they will enjoy the ride, whatever happens. He said: “Look at the way we play, the way we keep the ball, pass the ball, those short, quick passes, especially in midfield.
“We attack with a lot of players, create a lot of chances and score a lot of goals, we are going in the right way. This makes it fun for everyone, for us and for the supporters. People like to watch us.”
And for all the talent in Pep’s squad, they are also willing to work their socks off.
They proved that with the way they fought their way back after being “destroyed” — according to Guardiola — by Napoli in the opening 25 minutes.
Now they must put that behind them and prepare for the visit of title rivals Arsenal tomorrow.
Gundogan told Sport360: “It’s about hard work. There are many games to play and every one of them is intense. There will be more tough games over the coming months and we need to be ready.
“We have a good and deep squad and I feel every single player is able to hold it on a good level. We feel ready.”
That deep squad has been boosted considerably by the return of Gundogan.
He missed the final five months of last season after suffering a serious knee-ligament injury against Watford in December.
After fighting his way back in late September, he picked up another minor injury in his first start at West Brom.
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But in Naples on Wednesday he showed just why Guardiola rates him so highly.
He started in Italy, allowing veteran team-mate David Silva to have a rare night off.
Gundogan is just keen to play after being sidelined for so long.
He added: “I’m on a good level, I’m not fully fit and need some game-time and rhythm. That is very important for a footballer but I just try to stay fit.”