Pep Guardiola salutes his players after dramatic defeat to Real Madrid… as Man City boss says they must pick themselves up for FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea
- Man City suffered penalty heartbreak against Real Madrid in the Champions League
- Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed as City lost 4-3 on penalties.
- Liverpool have been hungover since Man United knocked them out of the FA Cup – where has their energy gone? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City have no regrets after Real Madrid destroyed their double treble dream on Wednesday night.
The City boss, who revealed Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland had asked to be replaced, praised his players after the heartbreaking penalty defeat to the 14-time winners.
Guardiola admitted City were not ruthless enough in the second leg of the quarter-final which they dominated and that he needs to build his squad ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.
“I have no regrets for what we did,” Guardiola said. “In other sports we would have won with our statistics, but that’s the wonderful thing about football.
“Johan Cruyff said there is no such thing as luck and I agree with him. We couldn’t score tonight. It hurts but what a fantastic way to lose. We feel bad tonight and he will have to get up.
Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City have no regrets after Champions League exit
Guardiola must have regretted the missed chances in the quarter-final second leg at the Etihad.
Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed as Man City lost 4-3 in the shootout
“What can I say to these players? We had to show who we were and what we were doing. That wasn’t enough, okay.
Jude Bellingham – who kept his cool in the shootout after Luka Modric’s miss – admitted Real were relieved to progress given the host’s concerted pressure.
“It’s so difficult,” he said. “They continually probe with the ball and move you around. Most teams would collapse when City got the better of you, but we held up very well.
“Our biggest strength is that he (Carlo Ancelotti) finds a way to let a lot of boys play freely. We are so spontaneous. As a man, he fills you with calm and confidence. I have it caught him yawning and he told me to go out and tease him.
“It is a relief. You have to see it as a responsibility and not as pressure if you want to play for a team like Real Madrid. It was a question of mentality.
Ancelotti agreed with Bellingham on Real’s courage, adding: “Guardiola congratulated me and wished me good luck. He behaved as a gentleman as always. How can I explain it? It’s Madrid. Games like this go with the Madrid Never Dies badge.
