Champions League
Guardiola: “I’m very proud, I can’t fault the looks or the result”
Pep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with City’s presence in a satisfying 4-3 win over Real in the first semi-final of the Champions League, stressing that Madrid’s only goal in the second leg was victory.
Manchester City defeated Real three times in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between them and scored two goals, but although they hammered it, they couldn’t “kill” Ancelotti’s team, with the final 4-3 in favor of the citizens leaving both the citizens and the door to qualification for the finals was wide open for the merengues.
That they will need to put on a similarly large display at the Bernabeu to clinch a ticket to the final in Paris does not deter Pep Guardiola, who claimed the two dates with Real are a good test for his players to show their personality a Team.
“It was a good game of football involving two teams with an amazing number of quality players on the pitch and amazing personality.
The result is what it is. We won, we will rest, then the game against Leeds and then we travel to Spain next week.
In order to win this tournament, based on my little experience, you have to master situations that football puts in your way,” said City’s Catalan coach, adding:
“The result could have been better, but Real is always Real. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 1-0 or 2-0 or 3-0 in front of goal, you have to perform well in both games. We played really well in the first game and we should do the same in the second.
“It’s a good test to show our personality as a team and we will go to Spain with the goal of winning.”
When asked if he was upset that his players missed some chances to score more, he said: “We lose them, but we create them. I have not a single complaint, neither about the result nor about the appearance.
I’m so proud and incredibly happy for how we played against an experienced side in front of the whole world. We did everything to get the win, and we did it with guts, either when we had the ball or when we didn’t have it on our feet.
If we play like we did in the second half, we won’t be able to win in Madrid. “What I want to say to my players is all they have to think about is going to Burnaby and putting on a good show that can bring victory.”
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