Pep Guardiola: Chelsea clash won't impact Champions League final | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola does not expect the result of Saturday’s meeting with Chelsea to have any impact on the outcome of the Champions League final and says he will not think about that game until the Premier League has been won.

City can secure our third title in four seasons by beating Thomas Tuchel’s side at the Etihad Stadium and will hope to do the same in Istanbul on Saturday 29 May when the two teams will battle it out for Europe’s top prize.

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However, Guardiola rejects the idea that Saturday’s match is a dress rehearsal and feels it arrives too early to have any significant impact on the Champions League final.

“First of all, congratulations to them for reaching the final," he said at his pre-match press conference.

“They made two good performances against the king of that competition in Real Madrid.

“If we played the final in one week, six days, there could [a significant impact], tut after tomorrow there are 21 or 22 days.

“Many things can happen. We just have to focus. It is so important to think of the Premier League.

“Of course, it is the opponent we're going to face in the final but we're going to try to play with the players suited to the way they play."

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Winning the Premier League remains Guardiola’s sole focus and victory against Chelsea would see City wrap up the title with three games to spare.

The Catalan is keen to get his hands on the trophy as quickly as possible, admitting he can shift his attention to the Club’s first European Cup final once domestic matters have been taken care of.

And, should City win on Saturday, the final three weeks of the season will still be important for the players, with the boss admitting Champions League places are still up for grabs.

“I’ve always said the Premier League is the most important title,” he added.

“We have four games left to get one victory and tomorrow we will try to get it.

“Right now, believe me when I say, there is not one thought about the final of the Champions League because we do not have the Premier League in our hands.

“When we have the Premier League, after the focus will be the final of the Champions League and everything will be related to the final.

“I am a cautious guy. In sport you don’t talk about it until you have it. We still need points.

“I could say we are going to think about the final, but nobody plays the way Chelsea play. Every opponent is completely different.

“People can think the guys who played against Dortmund or Monchengladbach will play in the final but right now I don’t know. Everyone has to be ready.

“Chelsea play differently so I will want everyone involved in next two or three weeks to prepare for the final."

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