Ahead of tonight's clash with the Premier League leaders, Man City boss Pep Guardiola has spoken of his fondness for Mauricio Pellegrino and his methods as a player and coach.
The former teammates spent a season together in Spain, sharing a dressing room at Barcelona during the 1998/99 season, which consequently ended in La Liga conquest.
Under the Catalan manager's stewardship, Man City recorded their 18th successive win at the weekend, and attention has now turned to Saints' visit to the Etihad.
“We have made a good recovery,” Guardiola asserted, after a tough test in West Yorkshire against Huddersfield.
“We are preparing for a mentally tough game against Southampton. I watched some Southampton games a few weeks ago.
“Mauricio made an amazing job at Alaves last season. They had a lot of young players and a really good team.
“We were together for one season. It was an amazing experience. He was so curious about football – he was always talking tactics.
“I am very pleased that tomorrow, I will see him after a long time. On the pitch, he had a lot of courage. He was an intelligent player. We had a great relationship and I have a lot of memories of him."
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