Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann is plotting to outsmart his idol Pep Guardiola when Manchester City attempt to get their Champions League campaign back on track by winning in Germany today.
At 31, Nagelsmann is the youngest coach in Champions League history, and admits to being a keen student of Guardiola’s methods.
Now he hopes to thwart the Spanish master tactician in Hoffenheim’s first home Champions League match in the club’s history.
“I don’t know if it it’s always an advantage to know Pep Guardiola, because then you know that he is doing so much the right way or the best way,” said Nagelsmann.
“It’s not very easy to say exactly how he will set his team.
“He has different ways to play against different opponents.
“You can see a lot of similarities in his style, but also see a lot of differences.
“As I said, it’s not easy to approach his style of play, but I have a few ideas.”
In Sinsheim, City will be aiming to bounce back from their shock 2-1 loss at home to Lyon in their first Group F game. Hoffenheim drew their opener 2-2 at Shakhtar Donetsk.
City beat Brighton 2-0 at home at the weekend to go top of the Premier League, but Hoffenheim’s form is far shakier as they suffered their third defeat in six Bundesliga games on Saturday, losing 2-1 at home to RB Leipzig, who the ambitious Nagelsmann will coach next season.
This is the first time Nagelsmann will go head-to-head with Guardiola, who coached Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga titles from 2013 to 2016 before joining City.
