Manchester City beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu to move a step closer to securing a top eight finish in the Champions League
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City must improve if they are to win the Champions League this season despite seeing his side claim a significant victory against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. The Blues came from behind to land a 2-1 victory in the Spanish capital, with Nico O’Reilly cancelling out Rodrygo’s goal and Erling Haaland scoring a penalty to move City up to fourth in the league phase table.
Despite seeing a new-look team claim a statement win, Guardiola wasn’t delighted with the performance and accepted his side had been comfortably second best until they equalised through O’Reilly. He has told his players they must raise their levels to challenge in the New Year but insisted he was “100%” convinced they would raise their games when it mattered in the knockout stages.
“Winning in the Bernabeu is a big task, especially in this competition,” said Guardiola. “But at the same time, I know in February and March the level to arrive in the semi-finals and final requires a better performance than today. We will work on it. It’s not enough to be there like today. I’m so pleased for the players, for the soul and the heart and how we run.
“Here, Anfield, Arsenal, Barcelona, when teams arrive we have to do better but knowing the players we will improve, that’s for sure. When we have five, six, seven players playing first or second game here, they have to live the experience.”
City have 13 points from their first six Champions League games this season, having managed just 10 from eight games last season, and they are also just two points off Arsenal in the Premier League and Guardiola likes what he is seeing from his team.
“I said from the beginning, I liked the vibe of the team,” he said. “They fight each other, they love each other, they go there. But I’ve been semi-final, final, champion many, many times, and I know what is required to compete in the next stage.”
Asked if he had faith that his team would get to that level, Guardiola said: “With no injuries, it will happen, for sure, 100%. We have the will do it.”
City had failed to win on their last four visits to the Bernabeu but Guardiola felt they had played better in some of those matches than they did on Wednesday.
“We have to be so grateful to the players,” he said. “I have been here many times in the last five years and we played better than today and didn’t win. This is the reality. The first 25 minutes until the goal from Nico they were better than us.”
