Manchester City to defend their Champions League crown than win it for the first time as his team prepared to launch the defence of their title against Red Star Belgrade, but even after starting off with a 3-1 victory at the Etihad, it was clear that the path to a second successive title will have its pitfalls.
If anyone at City -- Guardiola included -- truly believed that winning the Champions League the second time around will be easier just because their blue ribbons are on the trophy, the shock of falling behind to Osman Bukari's 45th-minute goal was a jolt of reality.
"Going down 0-1 at half-time was nice," Guardiola said. "Because maybe we needed it after winning the Treble. We need to be champions who prove ourselves and we proved it."
Omri Glazer allowed an Alvarez cross to go into the net on the hour and Rodri made it 3-1 with a clinical finish after 73 minutes as City made it 19 home wins in succession in all competitions.
Just over three months since City finally claimed Europe's biggest club prize with victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul they began their defence in ultimately comfortable fashion.
But for 45 minutes it looked as though it might be one of those nights as chance after chance went begging.
Once Argentina's Alvarez levelled in the 47th minute, however, only one outcome looked likely.
"The last two games I didn't know how many chances we missed," Guardiola said.
"We played really, really good but we were not able to score goals. We were consistent and in the end we won the game."
Phil Foden that the Academy graduate pulled wide with an acrobatic overhead kick.
Omri Glazer in the Red Star goal made his first serious save in the 15th minute, shooting a left hand up to deny Rodrigo, our hero in June’s final, another Champions League goal.
Erling Haaland will feel he should have made the breakthrough 10 minutes later when a patient City move ended with a Phil Foden cross landing on the Norwegian’s head.
With all in the Etihad expecting the net to bulge, our No.9’s attempt instead thudded against the crossbar.
Even though City have started the campaign by winning every game they have played so far, they have yet to come up against a likely rival, so their true status is difficult to gauge.
Guardiola is right, though. Winning the Champions League again will be easier for City in the sense that the weight of expectancy and even desperation has been lifted by last June's success in beating Internazionale in Istanbul.
But on the pitch, the task will be as tough as ever and they can thank Red Star for delivering that important reminder.
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