MADRID, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised his players’ resilience and determination after they fought back to secure a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in their Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Despite a lacklustre opening 30 minutes in which City looked vulnerable to Real Madrid’s relentless forward play, Nico O'Reilly’s equaliser and Erling Haaland’s penalty overturned Rodrygo’s early opener to hand the visitors three vital points in group-stage action.
Guardiola admitted his side had been second best in the opening phases of the game but lauded the character that allowed them to recover from a sluggish start.
“We’ve been here several times and played much, much better than today and didn’t win,” Guardiola said of City’s previous visits to the Bernabeu. “In the first 25 minutes, until the goal from Nico, they were much better than us. I will take the result but I know we need to be better. I know that in February and March, if we go through, the level we require is higher than today.”
City showed greater composure after taking the lead, with Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden causing problems for Real’s defence in the second half. Guardiola singled out Doku for praise.
“Every time we lost the ball, they threatened, especially with Vinicius Jr, many, many times,” Guardiola said. “It was good to score a goal because it helped us get back into the game. Jeremy Doku was outstanding today, like other players too. It was a good experience for us being here, for many new players coming for the first time to this stadium, where it is so tough to play.
“I have to be so grateful to the players. I’m happy,” he added. “I’ve been here many times in these last few years. We’ve fought many battles, and we’ve been much better than today but didn’t manage to win. This is a reality.”
With City now fourth in the group standings on 13 points, Guardiola will be hoping his side carry this resilience into the final two league-phase matches to secure a top-eight finish and direct qualification to the round of 16.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; editing by Clare Fallon)
