Real Madrid News
Guardiola explains what went wrong for Man City vs Real Madrid – ‘Emotions started to get the better of us’
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains confident that his team can still challenge Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie despite a heavy defeat in the first leg.
City suffered a 3-0 loss at Santiago Bernabeu, leaving them with a difficult task ahead in the return leg.
The result placed Real Madrid in a commanding position in the tie, but Guardiola insists the contest is far from over.
Speaking to the media ahead of City’s Premier League trip to West Ham United, the Spanish coach struck a determined tone when discussing the upcoming second leg.
Guardiola acknowledged that many have already written off Manchester City’s chances of progressing, but he suggested that the team still has an opportunity to fight back.
“Not many people have bet big money that we’ll come back, so we’ll see on Tuesday,” he remarked, as quoted by MARCA.
“I’ve lost many times in the Champions League knockout stages, countless times. I’ve been torn apart over refereeing decisions and what happened.
“It’s not the first time. Even so, I’m still here, in this position, until the very last day,” he added.
Reviewing the match
Despite the scoreline in Madrid, Guardiola insisted that he was not entirely disappointed with the way his team performed during certain periods of the match.
Revisiting his view of the game at the Bernabeu, the City manager explained that there were moments where his team showed strong attacking intent.
“I have an opinion about the game in Madrid, and it’s not going to change. We did some very, very good things. And in other areas, we could have done better, yes, of course.”
Guardiola went on to highlight the opening phase of the match, suggesting that Manchester City had started strongly before Real Madrid took control.
“The first 19 or 20 minutes, before the first goal, were exceptional, among the best we’ve played at the Bernabeu in terms of ‘We’re here to create danger.’
“We were a threat! But then, the emotions started to get the better of us.”
The City manager also addressed one of the moments of the match involving goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Vinicius Jr.
Guardiola questioned the decision to award a penalty after Donnarumma’s challenge on the Real Madrid winger. “Gigio touched the ball. It wasn’t a penalty,” he stressed.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
