Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that Manchester City are in need of a major overhaul following their elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid, who triumphed 6-3 on aggregate, highlighted by a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
In Wednesday’s second leg, Mbappe propelled the 15-time champions to a 3-1 victory; however, the bulk of the damage was inflicted on City in the first leg, where they suffered a late collapse to lose 3-2 at home last week.
This marks the third time in four seasons that City have fallen to the Spanish outfit, and notably, it’s the first occasion since Guardiola’s arrival in 2016 that the English champions have failed to progress to the last 16.
This year, the teams met significantly earlier in the competition, with City barely advancing past the group stage, finishing in 22nd place in the 36-team standings.
“The better team won,” Guardiola remarked during an interview with Spanish TV network Movistar.
“We have had a poor campaign in this competition. Finishing 22nd means we haven’t been at our best. It has undoubtedly been our worst year.“
Numerous injuries have contributed to City’s difficulties throughout the season.
Erling Haaland remained on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to a knee injury, while John Stones was substituted just 10 minutes into the match.
City’s sole goal came from their January arrivals, with Nico Gonzalez netting after Omar Marmoush’s free-kick struck the crossbar.
Guardiola indicated that the process of rebuilding has already commenced, with City investing £170 million ($214 million) in bringing Marmoush, Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis to the squad during the mid-season transfer period.
“It’s normal. Nothing is everlasting, and within the squad, there are players who have defined an era,” Guardiola added.
“We can’t overlook what this group has achieved, winning six Premier Leagues in seven years, particularly in such a competitive league.”
“In Europe, consistently reaching the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals says a lot about our accomplishments.“
Real Madrid have proceeded to win the competition every time they have eliminated City in the last four years, and Guardiola feels this current incarnation of Carlo Ancelotti’s side is the most formidable he has ever encountered.
“This year, we faced the finest Madrid. In previous encounters, whether advancing or not, we performed well,” he noted.
“They are superior this time, capable of controlling the ball for extended periods, proficient in running, and adept at defending high or dropping back. We must give them credit.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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