In the shadow of Manchester City’s glittering trophy cabinet, Pep Guardiola has struck a defiant tone as his team prepares to launch their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The legendary manager, speaking ahead of a blockbuster opener against Serie A champions Napoli at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, September 18, 2025, suggested that his side is being overlooked as contenders for Europe’s ultimate prize. “Apparently we are not [one of the favourites],” Guardiola declared with a wry smile during a press conference, embracing the underdog label for a team that claimed the Champions League crown just two seasons ago in 2023. As City aim to reclaim their place among Europe’s elite, the Spaniard’s comments set the stage for a season of redemption and defiance.
Manchester City’s journey to this moment has been anything but smooth. After a trophyless 2024-25 campaign—their first in eight years—marked by injuries and a shock early exit to Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout play-off, doubts have crept into the narrative around Guardiola’s squad. Bookmakers have placed City behind Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and defending champions Real Madrid in the race for the 2026 title, a pecking order that seems to amuse and motivate the City boss. “Enjoy the moment, the journey, we are happy to be here,” Guardiola said, downplaying the hype while emphasizing focus on the immediate challenge. “In the past we have been [among the favourites]. We have won just once. It is a lot for the difficulty [of the competition] and we just focus on tomorrow, the game we have to play.”
The Napoli clash carries extra emotional weight, marking the return of Kevin De Bruyne to the Etihad. The Belgian maestro, who spent a decade at City, winning six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League, joined Napoli in the summer after falling out of favor under Guardiola. Now thriving in Serie A with two goals in his opening three games, De Bruyne’s homecoming is a subplot laced with intrigue. “It’s not a surprise, players at that level adapt so quick,” Guardiola said of his former star’s seamless transition. “They don’t need much time to adapt and perform well.” When asked if he was eager to reunite with De Bruyne, Guardiola quipped, “After the game, yes!”—a nod to the competitive edge that will define their encounter.
City enter the match in high spirits, fresh off a commanding 3-0 derby win over Manchester United on Sunday, a result that banished the ghosts of back-to-back Premier League losses to Tottenham and Brighton before the international break. The squad has undergone a summer overhaul, with new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, a £26-million signing from PSG, stepping into the spotlight after replacing Ederson. “My desire was to come here,” Donnarumma told reporters, exuding confidence as City’s new No. 1. “That was my first and only option, the only thing I wanted.” His arrival, alongside the return of Ilkay Gundogan and the emergence of young talents like Tijjani Reijnders, has revitalized a squad eager to prove its detractors wrong.
The Champions League’s new format, with its expanded league phase, adds complexity to City’s campaign. Last season’s goalless draw against Inter in their opener left them scrambling, finishing 22nd in the league phase before their exit to Madrid. “We have more games than in previous seasons, but if you start with a bad result it can be difficult,” Guardiola warned, recalling the lessons of 2024-25. Facing Napoli, led by the tactically astute Antonio Conte and bolstered by Scott McTominay’s Serie A MVP form, City will need to be at their sharpest. Guardiola acknowledged McTominay’s impact, saying, “No [I’m not surprised], he has excellent conditions [in Naples]. It was a team that won Serie A and when you win it means every player is always performing to his maximum level.”
Guardiola’s underdog narrative is a masterclass in motivation, turning external skepticism into fuel for a team that has thrived under his meticulous guidance. Since taking charge in 2016, he has transformed City into a domestic juggernaut, but the Champions League remains a tantalizing frontier, with only one triumph in nine attempts. The memory of their 2023 victory over Inter, a 1-0 grind in Istanbul, lingers as proof of their potential, yet the scars of last season’s collapse remind them of the competition’s unforgiving nature. As they face Napoli, with De Bruyne’s return and Conte’s tactical nous adding layers of intrigue, City’s campaign is a chance to rewrite their story. “Apparently we are not,” Guardiola reiterated, but his glinting eyes suggest he relishes the chance to prove the doubters wrong, one match at a time.
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