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[WATCH] Get Real: Ahead of Real Madrid semi, Guardiola warns Manchester City of slip-ups after scare v Leeds United

Voice Sports Team|Published

Wake up call: City’s Ilkay Guendogan hit the post with his penalty v Leeds

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola warned his manne to get real after surviving a scare in Saturday’s 3-1 Premier League win over Leeds.

The title holders managed to stretch their lead at the top of the league to four points and take a victory into Tuesaday night’s Champions League semifinal first leg at Real Madrid, as they chase the treble, with Manchester United waiting in the June 3 final.

But not before a moerse scare.

Having raced into 2-0 lead after 27 minutes, first-choice penalty taker Erling Haaland gave Ilkay Gundogan the kans to complete his hattrick with an 84th-minute spotkick.

The German had his effort onto the post and Leeds went down the other end and pulled one back through bustling Rodrigo, but City stood firm.

Not happy: Pep Guardiola

But coach Guardiola was not a happy man, reminding his span that “this is a business”.

He tells the BBC: “If Gundogan scores the penalty everyone is ‘OK, hattrick, well done’.

Relieved Manchester City captainGuendogan

“But a taker is a taker. At 2-0, this is a business, not a situation where we cannot forget it.”

Unbeaten in 20 matches in all competitions as they head to the Santiago Bernabeu, Gundogan accepts that his failure from the penalty spot was a wake-up call with Arsenal still in Prem title race.

Asked about keeping their focus, the captain adds: “Probably the best warning about that is [Saturday].

“But we have an experienced team and have had these kinds of run-ins in recent years.

“We know what to do to keep the momentum going and win games. Nothing more but also nothing less.”

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