‘No regrets’ says Pep Guardiola after Manchester City loss in Champions League
Pep Guardiola insisted there were no regrets after Manchester City’s bid to retain their Champions League crown ended in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid.
The holders were beaten 4-3 on spot-kicks by the Spanish giants after their quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate – 1-1 on the night – despite a dominant display from Guardiola’s side in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
City fell behind early to a Rodrygo goal but created a host of chances as they sought to regain control of the tie but Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser was their only reward.
City manager Guardiola said: “I would have preferred to win but congratulations to Real Madrid, they defended so deep with incredible solidarity and we did everything.
“I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. Always we try to create more chances and concede less, because we believe that helps you to win and we did everything.
“We played exceptionally in all departments and unfortunately we could not win.”
Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed in the shoot-out, with the former’s effort proving a particularly comfortable save for Andriy Lunin.
Guardiola refused to blame the Portuguese for his failure to register.
He said: “Bernardo asked to take it, he’s a reliable player and decided to shoot in that way. What a game he had played. It happens.”
Guardiola also had no complaints about Real’s tactics, with the Spanish side forced to sit back and defend deep for much of the game.
“I don’t judge,” he said. “I’m not here to do this. It’s football. In this competition, that’s the way football happens.”
City’s loss also ended their hopes of winning a second successive treble and they must now pick themselves up for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.
Guardiola said: “Now we will rest and on Friday we travel to London to play the game.
“We will see how people will react. Of course the recovery is easier when winning, rather than losing, but it is the semi-final of the FA Cup and we will try to compete as much as possible.”
Real manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted the strength of City had forced them to soak up pressure and look to take the tie on penalties.
The veteran Italian said: “We defended really, really well. This was about survival. Madrid is a club based on always fighting to stay in situations where there seems to be no way out – but we always find a way.
“By the time the penalty shoot-out came, we were totally convinced we’d go through.
“This is about the only way you can come to City and win. You work, sacrifice and win however you can.”
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Mikel Arteta reveals what Arsenal lacked in 'gutting' Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich
Mikel Arteta has highlighted Arsenal's lack of 'spark' in Champions League loss to Bayern Munich
The Gunners were level after the first leg, but lost 1-0 in Germany
They miss out on the chance to progress in the competition
By Katie Catherall
Apr 17, 2024
Arteta was left feeling 'disappointed'
Arteta was left feeling 'disappointed' / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
Mikel Arteta has blamed Arsenal's lack of "spark" as they bowed out of the Champions League following a second leg quarter-final defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The Gunners miss out on a chance to earn European success as Bayern secure their place in the semi-final with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Joshua Kimmich's headed winner.
Arteta's side headed to Germany with everything to play for after drawing in the first leg, but were unable to capitalise on the lessons they had learned from playing Bayern at the Emirates.
The boss went on to admit Arsenal's squad were devastated in the dressing room, having seen their European hopes come to an abrupt end.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Arteta said: "That spark around the box is what you need in these ties to get the victory.
"A mistake from them or a magic moment, that is what unlocks the tie. We didn't manage to win it at the end and we could have won. At moments we were better than them and had a lot of moments of dominance."
Martin Odegaard
Arsenal fell to a defeat against Bayern / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages
He continued: "At the moment it's a gutted dressing room, very disappointed. I cannot find the right words to leave them, I wish I had.
"We have to go through it. We tried against a team with a lot of experience. Through the tie the margins have been very small. There were moments that we were better, we gave them two goals - that is a big advantage to give away.
"You could see that it was a zero margin of error, we made a mistake defensively in the box, big one, and we gave away the goal.
"Now is the moment to stick with the players, because they need our support. They are the ones that have taken us on this journey."
Arsenal will now set their sights on Premier League success, and return to league action on Saturday when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Arsenal's best and worst players in Champions League loss to Bayern Munich
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final
Mikel Arteta's side were unable to progress in Europe
A single goal from Joshua Kimmich was enough to secure Bayern's success
By Katie Catherall
3:00 AM GMT+1
Arsenal bow out of Champions League
Arsenal bow out of Champions League / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
Arsenal's dreams of achieving European success were brought to an end in Germany after being knocked out by Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Gunners drew the first leg at the Emirates 2-2, but were unable to build on their original performance as Bayern asserted their dominance over Mikel Arteta's side.
A single goal from Joshua Kimmich in the second half was all it took for Bayern to see glory at the Allianz Arena.
But who were Arsenal's best and worst players in Germany? Here are our picks, courtesy of90min's player ratings.
Arsenal's best player vs Bayern Munich
Martin Odegaard - 8/10
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard led the way for Arsenal / Alex Grimm/GettyImages
The captain often puts in a stunning performance for the Gunners and Martin Odegaard proved yet again why he deserves to wear the armband.
His side were unable to secure a goal against the German giants, but Odegaard came agonisingly close. Manuel Neuer was forced to scramble across his line to block what could have been an excellent goal.
His off-the-ball effort was also magnificent. He worked diligently to set the tone for Arsenal's attackers with intense pressing and high energy. A real captain's performance.
Honourable mention
William Saliba - 6/10
Harry Kane, William Saliba
Saliba looked strong against Bayern / Alex Grimm/GettyImages
William Saliba constantly looked composed at the back, despite being deep in troubled waters for most of the game.
He stepped up as a senior leader at the back, despite his young age, and put in a performance worthy of the occasion.
Saliba looked assured both on and off the ball, uncharacteristically silencing Harry Kane.
Arsenal's worst player vs Bayern Munich
Gabriel - 5/10
Gabriel
Gabriel refused to learn in the second leg / Alex Grimm/GettyImages
Gabriel was the antithesis to Saliba's performance and reverted back to his early Arsenal form in a matter of minutes, proving doubters right. He looked careless and overly aggressive, allowing himself to be caught out of position way too often.
The Brazilian was shown up by his defensive partner, and ultimately was unable to improve on the mistakes made in the first leg against Bayern.
If Arsenal were to stand a chance at progressing in the competition, they needed Gabriel to step up more.
Dishonourable mention
Bukayo Saka - 5/10
Bukayo Saka
Saka faltered against Bayern / Alex Grimm/GettyImages
Bukayo Saka will face a lot of criticism after the loss to Bayern, but it is fair to say that the young winger was ineffective during this game. He looked so isolated on the right for large portions of the game, and was subsequently handed little service to get involved in attack.
Bayern clearly prepared for Saka, potentially too much, and the 22-year-old suffered because of it.
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