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Jamie Carragher has cautioned Man City that they must aim for dominance in Europe after the club reached the Champions League final after a 4-0 defeat of Real Madrid on Wednesday evening (5-1 on aggregate).
Tuesday’s rout of Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium was hailed as a defining moment in the Pep Guardiola era.
City were at their magnificent best in what was described as a historic moment for the Manchester club. Two goals from Bernardo Silva, an Eder Milacao own goals and a late goal from substitute Julian Alvarez helped Man City to a 4-0 victory after the first leg ended 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeau.
It now puts City on the verge of a historic treble, needing only one victory from their final three league games to retain the Premier League title, and with an FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3 preceding a date with destiny against Inter Milan in Istanbul the following week.
Carragher: ‘They Should Be Getting That First Champions League in a Few Weeks’
Carragher has backed the English team to win the Champions League this season, a feat that many believe will cement Guardiola’s legacy.
“There’s only one English team that’s dominated Europe and that’s Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s,” the former Liverpool defender said on CBS Sport Golazo.
“Man City are about to win a third league title on the trot, but nobody’s ever done four, so they’re up there with the absolute best,” the pundit explained.
“Manchester United won three in a row a couple of times, but they never dominated Europe – they won a Champions League, and City have still got to win the Champions League,” he continued.
“But when you took at how good they could become, they should be looking at getting that first Champions League in a few weeks.”
Carragher Says Man City Have ‘Got To Be Looking At Trying To Dominate Europe’
Carragher, who famously claimed Europe’s top prize in Istanbul in 2005, argued that it will not be sufficient for Guardiola to win the Champions League only once during his tenure at City. The 45-year-old believes that given the club’s resources, more should be expected.
“But for the quality they have in terms of the manager, on the pitch and their finances – they can buy who they want virtually – they’ve got to be looking at trying to dominate Europe,” he said.
Guardiola has previously won Europe twice with Barcelona, defeating Manchester United in the 2009 and 2011 finals.
However, the manager failed to win a European title with Bayern Munich as well as Man City.
In his seventh season in charge at the Etihad, the Spaniard has previously acknowledged that he will be judged on whether he can deliver City their first-ever European title.
His team will be overwhelming favorites against Inter Milan, the third-place team in Serie A.
The Nerazzurri qualified for the tournament by defeating intense local rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate. Inzaghi’s side do boast quality throughout their lineup but they face a monumental challenge in playing Man City in Istanbul.
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