Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola commended his team’s resilience and determination following their comeback 2-1 triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Despite a shaky first 30 minutes where City seemed susceptible to Real Madrid’s aggressive attacks, goals from Nico O’Reilly and a penalty by Erling Haaland overturned Rodrygo’s early strike, clinching three crucial points for the visitors in the group stage.
Guardiola acknowledged his team’s initial struggles but praised their ability to bounce back from a sluggish start.
“We’ve visited here several times and played much better than today without winning,” Guardiola reflected on City’s past encounters at Bernabeu. “In the first 25 minutes, until Nico’s goal, they dominated. I’m pleased with the result, but we must improve. By February and March, if we advance, our performance needs to be stronger.”
City exhibited more poise after gaining the lead, with Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden challenging Real’s defense in the second half. Guardiola highlighted Doku’s exceptional performance.
“Every time we lost possession, they posed a threat, especially with Vinicius Jr, multiple times,” Guardiola remarked. “Scoring was crucial as it brought us back into the game. Jeremy Doku was remarkable today, as were other players. It was a valuable experience for us, especially for those visiting this challenging stadium for the first time.
“I owe a lot to the players. I’m satisfied,” he continued. “I’ve been here numerous times recently. We’ve had many battles and played better than today but didn’t win. That’s the reality.”
With City now fourth in the group on 13 points, Guardiola aims for his team to maintain this resilience in the last two league matches to secure a top-eight position and direct qualification to the round of 16.
