Some Man City players asked Pep Guardiola not to play vs Leeds ahead of Real Madrid tie
manchestereveningnews.co.ukPep Guardiola made seven changes against Leeds on Saturday because some players asked him for a rest ahead of this week's Champions League semi-final first leg at Real Madrid.
City have played nine games in the last 29 days, including three in the last seven, extending their unbeaten run to 20 games and putting the Premier League title back into their own hands.
With a run of 10 Premier League wins in succession, they are just three wins away from securing a third title in a row, and now turn their attentions to Real Madrid on Tuesday in an attempt to reach their second-ever Champions League final.
City followed up hard-fought wins over Fulham and West Ham with a 2-1 victory against Leeds on Saturday. Guardiola made a number of changes as City dominated - but a late penalty miss and a Leeds consolation goal set up a nervy ending. ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola might have confirmed nine Man City starters vs Real Madrid Among those dropping out on Saturday were John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, but the manager insisted that his team selection was justified, and that he had not thought about the Madrid semi-final once when preparing his side for Leeds. "I didn’t rotate the team because I was thinking in Madrid.
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