Spanish coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that Manchester City's history in the Champions League, including its successes and disappointments, has become an essential part of the team's identity under his leadership, emphasizing the importance of continuing to deliver strong performances in the upcoming stages of the tournament, ahead of facing Bayer Leverkusen in the fifth round of the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium.

Tuesday's match represents an important milestone for Guardiola, as it will be his 100th match as Manchester City's coach in the Champions League "excluding the qualifying rounds," having achieved 62 wins, 19 draws, and 18 losses.

Pep Guardiola said: "I am getting older, every week is a new milestone."

He added: "This means we have always been present in the tournament every season. It is a huge competition; players and coaches love it, challenging yourself against the best teams in Europe is something we love."

He continued: "There have been more disappointments than good moments, although the group stage gives us positive moments."

He explained: "In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, small differences, last minutes, and decisions beyond our control cause us to be eliminated."

He went on: "Those moments define the club and the technical staff; not everything is rosy. This is part of our identity, we live it, and this is what we need."

Guardiola revealed the latest updates on the squad before facing Leverkusen, confirming no new injuries, with only Rodri and Mateo Kovacic absent, while the rest of the players are fully fit.

Regarding injuries, Guardiola said: "Everyone is available for tomorrow's match except Rodri and Kovacic."

About Rodri's condition, he confirmed: "He will not be out for a long time; I am not sure, but it is not an extended absence. He is in the recovery phase, and we will wait a bit to be sure of his readiness."

The Spanish coach continued: "The loss is forgotten immediately; only that night do we think a little about what happened."

He added: "The group stage is very important; we have played four great matches, and even against Monaco away, we played excellently."

He continued: "Now we begin the last four matches, two at home and two away, and tomorrow we face the team in third place in the Bundesliga table."

He concluded his statements by saying: "It is a very important match to finish the stage among the top eight. Winning tomorrow and gaining an additional point will qualify us for the next round. We are focused on what we have to do."