After an odyssey to claim the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City are determined to keep their crown. It was a title that the club has always coveted and the long journey to retain the Champions League begins against Red Star Belgrade.
The memories of last season’s Champions League success are still fresh in the memory of Manchester City fans. Rodri’s famous winner will never be forgotten nor the celebrations that followed. But now is the beginning of a new Champions League campaign, and last season’s heroics will be parked in the rearview.
City will enter this season as the hunted in the competition. In previous campaigns, Pep Guardiola’s side has been hunting the ever-elusive crown. This time all of Europe will be hunting the treble winner’s prized scalp. The first side to attempt this will be Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade. Bigger challenges will likely come for City, but the Serbian side will be no pushover and will be determined to make an impression at the Etihad.
Manchester City are no stranger to being hunted. As winners of the past three Premier League titles, and 5 of the last 6 City knows the challenges they will face. But as the club discovered in their quest to claim the Champions League, it is a different beast altogether.
Rest assured though from a City point of view that Pep Guardiola will have his squad ready for the challenge. City’s boss knows the road ahead having managed Barcelona as holders in his spell at the Catalan club. Kyle Walker also spoke of the Manchester City player’s desire to repeat their success from a season ago.
After such an odyssey to claim the Champions League, Manchester City are determined to keep the crown in the 23/24 season.