Guardiola backs City to rise to challenge of defending Premier League crown
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has backed his side to put their Champions League disappointment behind them and “rise” to the challenge of defending their Premier League title.
City lost an epic semi-final to Real Madrid 6-5 on aggregate after the Spanish champions staged a thrilling comeback on Wednesday to triumph 3-1 at the Bernabeu.
City were leading 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate before Rodrygo struck twice at the end for Real Madrid and Karim Benzema completed the comeback in extra time to deny Guardiola’s side a second straight Champions League final.
“We need time now, one or two days, but we’ll rise, we come up, we have to do it with our people,” said Guardiola.
“That feeling that happens in football sometimes, that has happened in history, when you are leading but you get to the end and you are being dominated – that didn’t happen to us.”
The Spanish coach last won the Champions League in the 2010/11 season with Barcelona, failing to get his hands on the trophy with both Bayern Munich and City. Asked if this was his toughest European defeat, Guardiola said: “I’ve had defeats that were so tough, Barcelona against Chelsea when both games were exceptional and we could not reach the final and yes it’s tough for us, we cannot deny it.”
City missed out on a Champions League final showdown against Liverpool, who they lead by a single point in the Premier League title race as the Reds chase an unprecedented quadruple.
Newcastle United are the visitors to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with Guardiola saying all focus turns to fighting off their rivals. “Now we need to process that [defeat] and come back, with our people at home and the last four games we have,” he added.
Real, who are bidding for a record-extending 14th European crown, beat Liverpool in the 2018 final.
The same two sides also met in the 1981 showpiece, which was also played in Paris and won by the English side.
Real manager Carlo Ancelotti, who last year was managing Liverpool’s neighbours Everton, said: “The game was close to being finished but we managed to find the last energy we had. When we were able to equalise, we had a psychological advantage in extra time.
“I cannot say we are used to living this kind of life, but what happened tonight happened against Chelsea and also against Paris.
“If you have to say why, it is the history of this club that helps us to keep going when it seems that we are gone.”