Attack is the best defence for City at Monaco- Guardiola

Manchester City’s best form of defence will be to attack in Monaco on Wednesday (March 15) as they seek to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, manager Pep Guardiola said.

City edged an astonishing last 16, first leg 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium, having trailed 2-1 and 3-2, and will approach the second leg in a similarly attacking fashion.

“The best way (to defend) is score goals, attack as much as possible,” Guardiola told reporters in Monaco on Tuesday (March 13).

“When one team scores that many goals and you think about just defending, you kill yourself. The idea is to attack.”

Monaco have been a formidable attacking unit this season, scoring 84 goals in 29 Ligue 1 games, and carved City open in the first leg before capitulating late on.

Monaco’s Colombia striker Radamel Falcao scored twice in Manchester but there are doubts about his fitness ahead of the return after he suffered a hip injury at the weekend.

Whether he plays will not effect Guardiola’s thinking though. “Monaco win a lot of games because they attack well and when that happens football is amazing,” he said.

After several disappointments, City made their first major impact in the Champions League last season, reaching the semi-finals under Guardiola’s predecessor Manuel Pellegrini.

With Guardiola’s track record in the competition, however, the Premier League club want to take the next step.

City defender Bacary Sagna knows he will be in for a busy night on the French Riviera.

“To be honest, as a defender it is never pleasing to concede goals. I was upset after the first leg because we conceded three goals. I cannot be pleased,” the former Arsenal player said.