Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has blamed his side’s exit in the Champions League on a number of chances they missed against Real Madrid before the penalty shootout.
City’s domination counted for little as they were eventually ousted by Real Madrid in the shootout after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time.
Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser cancelled out Rodrygo’s opener in the first half.
Guardiola insisted he wouldn’t judge Madrid for their defensive style of play, as they mustered eight shots at goal to City’s 33.
“I don’t judge. We’ve found that type of opponent in the past. Some teams are more open, some play a lower block. They know it’s a difficult ground to come to and they’ve tried. We really pushed them, particularly in the second half.
“We were on the edge of the box and had lots of shots from outside the area, but we weren’t able to achieve it. We did everything we could but in the end, Madrid go through and we don’t,” Guardiola told TNT Sports.
The defending champions wasted two more chances to win the match before full-time, with Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne the guilty parties.
Pep believes they played exceptional football but they let themselves down by not converting chances.
“I would have preferred to have won, but congratulations to Real Madrid. “We did everything, so I have absolutely no regret about anything we have done.
“We played exceptionally, but unfortunately, we could not win so it is what it is. I have to say thank you to these players from deep in my heart because of the way they played. But football is about winning and we didn’t do enough yet we were exceptional.
Lunin, Ederson and Raya with 🔝 stops 🧤
Who impressed you most? @TurkishAirlines || #UCLsaves pic.twitter.com/8vO0C0g7o2
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 17, 2024
“Sometimes you can win on penalties and sometimes you cannot. But in the game, we did not convert the chances that we had,” Pep insisted. City defender Ruben Dias insinuated that Madrid wanted to go penalties as they adopted a defensive game plan throughout the entire 120 minutes.
“I don’t know what to say. Frustrating. We dominated the whole game. You go to penalties. The effort was there. We had chances. It’s a difficult one to take.
“You always end up doing everything to try to avoid penalties. That’s what they wanted. The team was there. We fought, we had our chances but it wasn’t our day.
“We had the chances. Sometimes the ball goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. Now we have to look forward to what’s to come in the season.
“We won’t have much time to rest. It’s a busy part of the season. Now is a time to be strong especially in the head. We’re still in two important competitions,” Dias told TNT Sports.
