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Guardiola: I have missed the game

Guardiola: I have missed the game

Latest 'We are strong and want to beat Dortmund' - Muller Previous
By Stefan Coerts
Jan 17, 2013 12:50:00 PM

The former Barcelona coach has revealed that he is desperate to make his comeback at the end of this season, and believes the Catalans will not give up their lead in La Liga

Bet: Returns: Dortmund £48.00 Draw £37.00 Bayern £18.00 BetVictor
Bet: Returns: Dortmund £45.00 Draw £34.00 Bayern £18.30 WilliamHill
Bet: Returns: Dortmund £43.33 Draw £37.50 Bayern £18.33 PaddyPower
Bet: Returns: Dortmund £47.50 Draw £41.00 Bayern £17.50 Bet365
Bet: Returns: Dortmund £45.00 Draw £37.50 Bayern £18.00 Coral
Pep Guardiola has admitted that he has missed football in the wake of his decision to take charge of Bayern Munich at the end of this season after a one-year sabbatical.

The Spaniard moved to New York after leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2012 to take a break from football, and even though he has little interest in all that is going on outside the game itself, Guardiola is looking forward to making his comeback.

"I've missed the game itself. All the stuff that surrounds it, not so much. But I have missed [figuring out] the way a certain team plays and how you can beat them, deciding on which players to select to try and win a match," Guardiola told Fifa.com.

"For me at least, that’s the only reason I’m in this game. If it wasn’t for that...

"Everything else, well, they’re not things that I have a constant need for. I can live perfectly well without them. In fact I’d say you can have a much better life without them. But the game itself, that’s what draws you in."

The 41-year-old then went on to discuss Barcelona's title chances, and stressed that something special would have to happen for the Catalans to miss out on La Liga success.

"Too many things, far too many things, would have to go wrong for Barcelona to lose this Liga title. I don’t see it happening, the gap’s virtually insurmountable. Not because Madrid aren’t capable of winning all their games, but because I don’t see Barcelona losing enough matches either.

"It’s too big an ask. The Barcelona players are used to success and they’ve got so many qualities. I think that this La Liga race is pretty much over."

Barcelona currently hold an 11-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.
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  • 1. Bundesliga
  • Bayern
  • Barcelona
  • Pep Guardiola
Latest 'We are strong and want to beat Dortmund' - Muller Previous

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Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
4:44 PM BST
However, Dortmund simply cannot be discounted. They relish the role of underdogs and are not in the least bit afraid of their illustrious rivals, having now gone six Bundesliga games without defeat against die Roten. The last time these two met in a final, in last season’s DFB Pokal, Dortmund ran out 5-2 winners. As coach Jurgen Klopp pointed out this week: “We’re not the best team in the world, but we can beat the best team in the world."
4:43 PM BST
Bayern, of course, start as overwhelming favourites to prevail this evening, and understandably so. Not only did they mercilessly batter Barcelona into a shockingly tame capitulation at Camp Nou, they are also coming off the back of a record-breaking Bundesliga campaign which they finished a staggering 25 points clear of runners-up Dortmund, whom they are unbeaten against in four meetings this season.
4:40 PM BST
So, what do you think? Who will prevail this evening? Are Bayern going to banish the memory of last year’s devastating and inexplicable loss to Chelsea at the Allianz Arena? Or are Dortmund going to defy the odds once again and go from the brink of bankruptcy to Champions League winners in just eight years? Get in touch via Facebook and Twitter and I’ll be sure to post the best comments in here.
4:39 PM BST
Finals do not get much more appetising either. What we have here tonight is a game between the two best sides in Europe this season. There is just simply no disputing that. Dortmund have been beaten just once on their remarkable run to the final (quite the feat when you consider they were grouped with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax), while Bayern have sparked giddy talk of a new era of die Roten dominance akin that enjoyed by the Bavarians in the 1970s by dismantling the likes of Juventus and, in particular, Barcelona on their way to Wembley.
4:38 PM BST
That’s right, in the same year that one of the most iconic venues in the game turns 90 and the Football Association marks its 125th anniversary, two German sides will battle it out for the right to lift the most prestigious prize in club football at the home of English football. For those with a twisted sense of humour, irony does not get any more delicious than this!
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