Cannot deny that it is tough for us but we didn’t play well in first half, admits Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola
|Getty
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confessed that the loss to Real Madrid is a tough one to swallow but added that his side did not play well and struggled to find their game. The Cityzens had one leg in the final after a Riyad Mahrez goal but Madrid produced an incredible comeback to win 6-5.
With Manchester City walking into the second leg, of their Champions League semi-final clash, with a 4-3 lead, many expected the Cityzens to keep their heads straight and walk into the final. But Real Madrid proved to be a far tougher fight than anyone expected as despite a Riyad Mahrez goal, the Los Blancos produced a sensational and historic fightback to win 3-1. It meant that City crashed out of the tournament with Carlo Ancelotti’s side walking away as 6-5 winners on the aggregate.
The result has shocked many and it has set up a battle against Liverpool for Real Madrid but Manchester City fans have been stunned. They’re not the only one as Pep Guardiola admitted that this was a tough loss for the team and that is something he “cannot deny”. The City boss also added that they didn’t “play well in the first half” and while things improved in the second, Real Madrid shocked them.
"I have had defeats in the Champions League, I had tough defeats at Barcelona when we could not reach the final. But it is tough for us, I cannot deny that. We were so close to the Champions League final. We didn't play well in the first half, we didn't find our game,” Guardiola said, reported Sky Sports.
“The second half was much better and after the goal, we had control. We found our game but unfortunately we could not finish. The players gave everything. We were so close. Before the first goal we had two chances, one so clear with Jack (Grealish), which could maybe solve it.Â
“And in that moment we did not have the feeling that we were in trouble because of the way they attack. It happened, they scored a goal at the end. They have done it many times in their history, they put a lot of players in the box, like Militao and the strikers, and yeah, they found the goal."
