MADRID — The quest for clarity continues for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City as they find themselves in a difficult spot. On Wednesday, the team succumbed to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid, culminating in a 6-3 aggregate loss in the Champions League playoffs. Guardiola struggled to inspire his squad, exhibiting signs of frustration while delivering instructions and appearing disheartened at other moments.
As Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring just four minutes into the game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Guardiola turned away, visibly upset. The situation worsened for City as Mbappé netted his second goal in the 33rd minute, prompting Guardiola to retreat to his bench momentarily. His return was delayed even longer after the French forward completed his hat trick in the 61st minute, signaling a low point in the match for the City manager.
During the first half, Guardiola’s frustration was evident when goalkeeper Ederson opted for a long clearance under pressure. Guardiola gestured helplessly to Ederson, seemingly questioning the decision with his outstretched arms. This disappointment is compounded by the fact that Guardiola had never failed to advance to the last 16 during his previous eight seasons with Manchester City, nor in his tenures with Bayern Munich and Barcelona, as City had consistently progressed to that stage since the 2012-13 season.
Guardiola entered this season with hopes of resolving his team’s numerous issues and avoiding an early exit, especially given the new structure of the league phase and playoffs. However, underwhelming performances throughout the season made qualifying difficult, leading City to face the 15-time European champions, Madrid, in the playoffs.
Despite having secured City’s first Champions League title in 2023, Guardiola acknowledged that the team is “miles away” from its potential, although there have been glimpses of the dominant side that claimed multiple titles in the past, such as a commanding 4-0 victory against Newcastle in the Premier League last Saturday.
Currently, City sits in fourth place in the Premier League after 25 matches, trailing leaders Liverpool by a hefty 17 points. Injuries have plagued Guardiola’s plans this season, significantly impacting the squad’s strength on Wednesday—most notably, Erling Haaland was unable to start due to a knee injury from the previous match against Newcastle, and John Stones had to leave the pitch less than ten minutes into the game due to another knee issue.
The absence of key midfielder Rodri for the majority of the season has also hampered City’s ability to dominate possession as they have in recent years. However, Rodri is expected to make a return soon, offering Guardiola some hope as the team looks ahead to the remainder of the season.
