Guardiola urges City to attack

PEP Guardiola wants Manchester City to attack tonight after warning attempts to sit on their lead against Monaco will end in defeat.

City carry a 5-3 aggregate lead into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against the Ligue 1 leaders after a pulsating clash between the two attack-minded sides in Manchester last month.

Manager Guardiola admitted after the first leg his side were unlikely to be able to contain Monaco at Stade Louis II and he maintains attack will be their best form of defence.

Monaco have scored 123 goals in all competitions this season and their loss to City at the Etihad Stadium was their only reverse in 17 games since mid-December.

Guardiola said: "Taking the ball and attacking as much as possible is the only way I know to beat this type of team.

"If one team scores 124 goals (actually 123) and you are thinking about only defending for 90 minutes because we won one game 5-3, you kill yourself.

"Monaco are a team created to attack and our team is created to attack, or at least to score goals, so in that way it will be a great game. I invite people to come here and see a good game."

Opposite number Leonardo Jardim also anticipates another end-to-end encounter.

The Portuguese said: "I think the two teams will attack and we can expect a lot of goals.

"We know we have to score at least two more but I think the individual quality of the City players is so dangerous they can score at any moment. So, to qualify I think we will need to score at least three goals."

City right-back Bacary Sagna admits the defences are likely to have their work cut out.

City's oft-maligned back line has actually performed well of late, keeping seven clean sheets in their last 10 games, but it seems Wednesday night may not see that statistic improve.

Sagna said: "They will try to attack and score goals. It will be a big game. It will be exciting, as the first leg was."