Pep Guardiola vs Ange Postecoglou: Complete head-to-head record
- Pep Guardiola never faced Ange Postecoglou in a competitive fixture before the latter's Premier League arrival
- The two managers did meet in a pre-season friendly in 2019
- Postecoglou took the Tottenham job ahead of the 2023/24 season
"I'm just copying Pep, mate."
Uttered with a backdrop of sarcasm, there's no doubt Ange Postecoglou would have taken offence to claims that the Australian's methodology has been taken straight out of the Pep Guardiola playbook.
Like so many, Postecoglou has undoubtedly taken inspiration from the current Manchester City boss. Leaning towards Guardiola in the ideological spectrum is seemingly a prerequisite for managers to succeed at the elite level.
Nevertheless, Ange's influences transcend the great Guardiola and can be traced back to the revolutionary Mighty Magyars of the 1950s given his close relationship with Ferenc Puskas. Unlike his Spanish counterpart, the Australian has been pushed back and doubted throughout his managerial career, but he's now arrived in the big time after taking on the daunting Spurs job.
The early signs suggest we'll enjoy our fair share of duels between the two managers on English shores. Here's a reminder of how every Guardiola vs Postecoglou clash has played out so far.
Manchester City 3-3 Tottenham - November 2023
The first competitive meetings between the two managers certainly didn't disappoint.
While Spurs have proven to be City's bogey team throughout Guardiola's reign, very few gave Postecoglou a chance of overseeing anything but a convincing defeat given his list of absentees.
And while City could've been out of sight in the first half, Ange's Lilywhites played with bravery and courage throughout. The hosts took a 2-1 lead into half-time, but Guglielmo Vicario was rarely tested after he expertly tipped Bernardo Silva's effort over at the start of the second period.
The visitors eventually restored parity through a fine Giovani Lo Celso finish, but they were forced to come from behind again after Jack Grealish rounded off a quick transition. However, this bonkers fixture was always going to serve up more drama, and Guardiola's side were once again on the receiving end of more Lilywhite magic as Dejan Kulusevski dominated Nathan Ake in the air and shouldered home Spurs' third in the last minute of normal time to ensure the spoils were shared.
Pep Guardiola vs Ange Postecoglou H2H record
- Pep Guardiola: 0 wins
- Ange Postecoglou: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
Goals scored
- Teams managed by Guardiola: 3
- Teams managed by Postecoglou: 3
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