Pep Guardiola is why the key match against Milan in the season

Pep Guardiola is the second leg against Milan decisive for the course of the season.
Their minimum goal in the Champions League is always reaching the semifinals.

"Tuesday's game against Milan is the most important of the season." The phrase let go consciously and fully intend Pep Guardiola after midnight between Saturday and Sunday, minutes after Barça won the Athletic at Camp Nou. Why the azulgrana coach said so emphatically that conviction? Sports world could know the technical reasons. Since taking the reins of the team in summer 2008, Guardiola always takes care to repeat that the truly important for a club the level of Barça is "racing to the end." So recently also proudly said that in these four years does not remember any game that his players "have not competed." That is the key to everything for Guardiola, the requirement has been imposed on himself and his own staff while he is sitting on that bench. Earn a degree, whatever, sometimes depends on factors such as the famous "chance" that spoke a few weeks ago in Leverkusen, but what really matters is that a team fight all competition and take the limit, full bar.

And where is that limit, the bar for Guardiola? In the League he has hinted that means at least required for a club level you want for your Barcelona: Real Madrid have come to play the title at the Camp Nou as Barça had to go to play the last three league titles at the Bernabéu.

In the Champions League, the virtual bar is usually reached the semifinals, which is what Barça has become a healthy habit for baastantes seasons. Hence, with such firmness Guardiola said that Barça-Milan tomorrow at the Camp Nou is the party "most important of the season" in his view. Then go to reach semi-finals and play another final, such as Munich would be, would exceed in length what would be his minimum goal, obviously.

That does not mean that ambition is not to win Guardiola any competition to his path. And that is the trajectory to confirm this. But he himself, whenever possible, is responsible for the exceptional highlight is, not only for Barça but also for football in general, a team has been able to win 13 of the last 16 titles to which it has sucked. And the key, in his view, is that he kept the first and only law that requires your computer: Competing through. And "the end" is always in the semifinals of the Champions. (via MD)