Middlesbrough boss Karanka: Guardiola underestimated Premier League

The City boss has overhauled the side’s tactics, urging his players to dominate possession and pass out from the back even when they are under heavy pressure from their opponents.

Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final win on Teesside was all about confounding Aitor Karanka’s players courtesy of complex, invariably high-speed, geometrical passing patterns often initiated by Claudio Bravo as City played, consistently, from the back.

City take a 5-3 lead to Monaco for the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

“For defenders, [clean sheets are] good”.

“I think he has all the qualities”, Guardiola told reporters. I thought we were solid at the back and were risky going forward.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has challenged former England winger Stewart Downing to show more “fight” if he wants to play a part in the club’s relegation battle.

A win is a win is a win and when it books a day out at Wembley, so much the better. Sane’s first time ball across goal saw Aguero pounce to jab in and ease those nerves on the bench and in the crowd.

It was a goal destined to further erode the fragile confidence of a Middlesbrough team that struggled to find an immediate response apart from two awful tackles, one that earned a caution for Antonio Barragan and another that should have brought the same punishment for Grant Leadbitter.

The 21-year-old was snapped up for big money last summer and, having netted three times in his last four appearances, is starting to repay that faith as he continues to develop and mature under the guidance of Guardiola. They really wanted to win this one.

Club captain Vincent Kompany was named in the matchday squad and was on the team bus -to stadium but then missed out on the 18.

Boro have managed seven goals in three matches in the FA Cup this season going into this one – that’s the same as they’ve got in their last 14 in the league. But we’re not thinking about the final now. We went out for some food and everyone is together and we know what we need to do. Guardiola has many wonderful memories of Wembley, both as a player and manager of Barcelona, and admires the rich tradition that the stadium has to offer.