At Etihad Stadium, Man City lost to Real Madrid 1-2 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, thereby losing the final match with a score of 1-5. Pep Guardiola's team suffered a big loss in the 20th minute, when captain Bernardo Silva received a red card after using his hand to prevent Vinicius from scoring.
For Guardiola, questions will arise. This is the second consecutive season his team has failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. This talented coach has only been eliminated before the quarter-finals once in the previous 15 seasons.
Regarding his future at the Etihad, Guardiola said: "Then one day I will come here and say,'Goodbye everyone!' But in fact I am still here, the contract is still valid for another year. The future will be bright and next season we will return.
Guardiola did not criticize Silva for using his hand to play the ball, causing Man City to play with one less player. However, the strategist was still a little disappointed, he said: "It's not a mistake, a red card, the first red card in his career, it's a reaction. That's completely avoidable. Okay, let's assume the player scores and the match takes place with 11 players against 11 players. I will never blame my players for that.
My feeling is that I really want to play with 11 people against 11 people like the way we started and played, but football is like that. Madrid is an extraordinary team, they will punish you when you make mistakes".
According to Pep Guardiola, his team is still in the process of development. "Abdukodir Khusanov played in the Champions League for the first time. Rayan Cherki also played in the Champions League for the first time. Antoine Semenyo is similar. They need time.
We are not a complete team, that's the truth. I have witnessed a Man City team with all the elements to make a true team, but we have not yet achieved that. We are an excellent team. But we are still not a complete team," Guardiola added.
In the next match, Man City will meet Arsenal in the League Cup final. This is an opportunity for Pep Guardiola's team to win their first and possibly only title this season. Because in the Premier League, they are being left far behind by Arsenal. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Man City will face Liverpool in the quarterfinals.
