Pep Guardiola Admits Manchester City Did Not Deserve Champions League Advancement After Defeat To Real Madrid

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted his team did not deserve to advance in their Champions League playoff against Real Madrid. City suffered a 3-1 defeat in the second leg, resulting in a 6-3 aggregate loss. Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick secured Madrid's place in the last 16, marking the first time Guardiola's team has exited before this stage in his 16-year managerial career.

City's performance at the Bernabeu was lacklustre, with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.38 compared to Madrid's 1.82. The visitors failed to register a shot on target until the 75th minute. Guardiola acknowledged, "After we conceded the goal in the first action, we didn't defend well, it was more and more difficult." He added, "We have to accept it, the best team won, so congratulations to Real Madrid."

This season marks City's 13th defeat across all competitions, setting a new record for losses under Guardiola's management. Previously, his teams had never lost more than 12 matches in a single season. A tweet from OptaJoe highlighted this unprecedented statistic:

The defeat also marked only the third time Guardiola has lost both legs of a Champions League knockout tie. Two of these defeats were against Real Madrid, including one during the 2013-14 semi-finals and another against Liverpool in the 2017-18 quarter-finals.

Guardiola expressed determination to focus on domestic success following their European exit. "Now, we are focusing on the Premier League," he stated. Despite acknowledging Real Madrid as strong contenders for the Champions League title, he noted that other formidable teams remain in contention.

Looking ahead, Manchester City will face Arne Slot's side this weekend as both teams aim to recover from their midweek results. Liverpool also seeks redemption after being held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Guardiola reflected on City's disappointing Champions League campaign: "It's the first year we didn't have a good Champions League season." He emphasised their commitment to returning stronger next season: "We have to accept it and fight for next season to be here again."