MY ACCOUNT
Pep Guardiola admitted he does not know how Manchester City’s heartbreaking Champions League exit to Real Madrid will impact the rest of their season.
Real snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as two goals in the final moments of normal time took the game to an extra 30 minutes, where Karim Benzema’s penalty proved enough to send Los Blancos into the final.
It left City’s players, fans and coaching staff shell-shocked at the Bernabeu.
But they remain locked in a tense Premier League title battle with Liverpool — who booked their spot at the Paris showpiece on Tuesday night — and know four victories from their final four games would see them retain their league trophy.
Guardiola, 51, said: “This will have a positive impact on the Real Madrid players but I don’t know about us really.
“We didn’t suffer much until they scored, but we didn’t play our best.”
Newcastle are the visitors to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon and Guardiola feels his players need time to “process” the dramatic events of last night.
Jack Grealish saw one chance brilliantly cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy before Thibaut Courtois kept him out again minutes before Rodrygo’s double extended the tie.
The Citizens boss added: “It is tough for us, I cannot deny. We were so close to the Champions League final.
“Now we need to process that and come back, with our people at home and in the last four games we have.”
‘We did not suffer much’
On the game, Guardiola felt that though his side were not at their best, they were comfortable until the unexpected ending.
“In the first half we did not have [the] game, we were not good enough. But we did not suffer much,” he said.
“After we scored the goal we were better. We found our tempo and our game and the players were comfortable.
“It is not like in the last 10 minutes they attack and attack and you suffer. It didn’t happen.
“They put a lot of players in the box, with Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema and they put in crosses and scored two goals.
“We didn’t play our best, but it is normal, a semi-final, the players feel the pressure and wanting to do it.
“Football is unpredictable, it is a game like this. We have to accept it.”
