Pep Guardiola lauded Riyad Mahrez s appetite for the big occasion after the Manchester City winger s brace secured a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain and a place in the Champions League final.
Mahrez s free-kick sealed a 2-1 win at Parc des Princes in last week s first leg and he netted a goal in each half on Tuesday to close out a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
The former Leicester City favourite has found the going tough at times since joining City in 2018 but he is now a go-to pick for Guardiola, his four goals and two assists in this season s competition putting the club one game away from elusive Champions League glory.
Riyad is an extraordinary player – big talent, huge quality, especially in the big games he is always ready, City manager Guardiola told a post-match news conference.
We know his quality quite well. He is a fantastic player.
The players in these stages are judged how they behave in the biggest scenarios, the big tests.
He loves it and enjoys it. He made a good goal, the first one with right foot and the finish for the second. Three goals over the tie, he deserves big compliments.
7 Manchester City have won their last seven UEFA Champions League matches; the longest ever winning run by an English team in European Cup/Champions League history. Historic.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Fernandinho was a surprise selection on his 36th birthday, but Guardiola felt the club captain excelled.
Especially in the second half he was incredible, said Guardiola. We adjusted a little bit [at half-time] to support John [Stones] and Ruben [Dias].
He was so good, really, really good. It was his birthday, a big present. He has been an extraordinary captain this season, leading us in bad moments and he played really well.
Guardiola conceded it was strange to play such a key game behind closed doors, even if that has now been a reality of the coronavirus pandemic for almost a year.
Before the match, a group of City fans – some with flares – gathered to welcome the team bus to the ground.
I have to say it was socially distanced but we loved it, Guardiola said. It s nice to be in a final but we missed them.
Of course, it was so weird playing the semi-final of the Champions League in empty stadium.
The club belongs to the people, that s for sure. We are here for a period but the fans always stay. I am pretty sure they are so proud.
