Man City is rated much higher than Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), in the match of the 1/8 round of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. However, despite taking the lead, the English team unexpectedly lost 3-4 after 120 minutes of play.
Despite his disappointment, Guardiola used the post-match press conference to emphasize the commitment that his players and staff have shown since arriving in the US.
At this stage, it is all difficult matches, he said. We allowed Al Hilal to create transitions but Man City created many opportunities and overall we played well.
We had many notable performances and goalkeeper Bounou had incredible saves. I felt Man City were playing well but now we have to go home, relax our minds and return next season.
According to Guardiola, he has seen positive signs from Man City's four games in the competition this year. The new recruits have quickly integrated into the team's playing style. But he also stressed that since the loss to Al Hilal, his players have had to finish sharply. Not taking advantage of good opportunities was part of the reason why Man City was eliminated.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal's victory ended a 20-match winless streak of Asian teams against European clubs at the FIFA Club World Cup. The Saudi Arabian team will meet Fluminense in the quarter-finals. The Brazilian club had a convincing 2-0 victory over Inter Milan.
We know it will be a tough game, as Man City are one of the strongest teams in the world. We want to show our ideas, talent and strength. Al Hilal had a very good match, the whole team took advantage of the opportunity to get a happy result.
We want to prove that Al Hilal has the strength and talent to be here and we have shown a great spirit, said centre-back kalidou Koulibaly.
