Ederson on Leipzig, Erling Haaland and Manchester City’s Champions League mission | UEFA Champions League

Ederson came to Manchester City in 2017, the Brazilian goalkeeper having earned his footballing spurs in Portugal with Rio Ave and Benfica, where he won two domestic titles. In England he has already claimed four Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and four League Cups, as well as reaching the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final, where his side lost out to domestic rivals Chelsea.

Leipzig vs Man City: Latest updates

As the Sky Blues prepare to meet Leipzig in the round of 16, the easygoing 29-year-old talked UEFA.com through his relationship with Erling Haaland, the helpful footballing advice he receives from his wife and City’s burning ambition to win the biggest prize in club football under Pep Guardiola.

On round of 16 opponents Leipzig

Last season we played against them in the group stage. They’re a good team, with good players, so we have to be prepared. I hope we’ll be able to play well, but it won’t be easy because the Champions League doesn’t have easy games. I’m expecting a challenge, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to play well and get a good result in the first leg and to carry on with that afterwards.

On Erling Haaland

When he arrived, we said he was going to score a lot – and that’s been happening. He is a brilliant goalscorer, he always looks to score and help the team. He is the striker we needed, because in comparison to Gabriel [Jesus], they are different players: Gabi likes to come in from out wide, he is stronger and more versatile; Haaland plays more centrally, looking to get into the box, he is a target in the area. That has been the major difference. When you get into the final third you have someone who will always be in the area.

Many people say most of the goals he scores are easy – but that is a lie. It’s his positioning – that’s his best ability. He doesn’t score easy goals; he positions himself very well. I hope he continues to score many goals, making us happy and we’ll keep working together for all the titles.

On life off the pitch

It’s [all about] family. When you are well at home, you’re well everywhere else. Sometimes when I’m sad after a match or I’ve had a bad game, I come home, my kids come to hug me, to play with me – and my wife comes to talk with me. When she thinks she must scold me, she does; when she feels like making a compliment, she does that. That is very important, that we have open discussions.

She is not the kind that goes, “Calm down, you’ll get it right in the next one.” No, many times, she goes, “You should have done that, you should not have done what you did, you should not have conceded that goal.” She helps me to see other aspects.

And my children are the most important part because they give me strength – they are my joy. They give my self-esteem a boost and that’s fundamental in my everyday life.

On City’s Champions League ambitions

That’s our main objective, the main objective of the club. We’ve been trying [to win it] and will carry on trying. We haven’t won it yet; we reached the final [in 2021], and a few semi-finals, and we didn’t come out of it with a good result. But I think this year, we’re more than capable of getting to the final and challenging for the title.

We’re coming after it. We’re a group of great quality and that shows how much the club has developed over the last five or six years, with Premier League titles, [English League Cups], FA Cups, Community Shields. Now this title is what the club needs, it’s what we athletes need and it’s what [Pep] Guardiola needs here at the club, too. This year, we’re going to try. We’re going after it.