Manchester City came from behind to beat Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League, but the Sky Blues’s boss Pep Guardiola was left unimpressed.
“This will be a good lesson for the future because that level is not quite enough. Until the [first] goal we scored, they were much better. We’ve played much better [in previous games vs Madrid] and we didn’t win. Don’t misunderstand me. Winning at the Bernabéu is a big task, but at the same time, come February and March, the level required must be better,” said Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola
Without injured superstar Kylian Mbappe, Madrid took the lead through Rodrygo in the 28th minute, but Nico O’Reilly (35th min) and an Erling Haaland penalty (43rd min) put City ahead at the break and ultimately secured them three points.
The result leaves City in fourth place with 13 points from six games (four wins, one draw, and one loss).
Meanwhile, the result could have major ramifications for Madrid boss Xabi Alonso. Spanish media reported in the lead-up to the game that a defeat would seal Alonso’s fate, although his team’s performance was creditable, despite the eventual outcome at a frustrated Bernabeu stadium.
The record 15-time Champions League winners have now won just two of their last eight matches across all competitions, and face a battle for a place in the top eight of the league phase table.
Other results
Arsenal 3-0 Club Brugge
PSG 0-0 Athletic Bilbao
Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle
Benfica 2-0 Napoli
Juventus 2-0 Pafos
Dortmund 2-2 Bodo/Glimt
Villarreal 2-3 Copenhagen
Qarabag 2-4 Ajax
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