Pep Guardiola refuses to blame Bernardo's penalty miss for City's Champions League exit

Pep Guardiola refuses to blame Bernardo’s penalty miss for City’s Champions League exit

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said there were no regrets after his side’s Champions League title defense ended in a painful penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid at the Etihad on Thursday night. Notably, City’s aspirations to retain their UEFA Champions League crown were dashed in a penalty shootout against Real Madrid as the tie, which ended 4-4 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw on the night, was decided in the most nerve-wracking manner, with Real Madrid emerging victorious 4-3 in the shootout.

Amidst the high tension and the ultimate disappointment for Manchester City, Bernardo Silva found himself at the center of a crucial moment many feared could be pinpointed as the reason for City’s exit. However, Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, stood firmly by his player, refusing to attribute the loss to Silva’s missed penalty. “Bernardo asked to take it, he’s a reliable player and decided to shoot in that way,” Guardiola said after the game.

“Bernardo, what a game he played. It happens. We did everything. I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. We played exceptional in all departments and unfortunately we could not win. It is what it is. It’s football. In this competition, that’s the way football happens. In other sports, for statistics we would have won but in football it’s the marvellous thing about football is this is what happens. The way that we played, the amount of shots that we had, being in there and the transitions we had.

“They scored a great goal with the control of Bellingham and the ball that we put through but we didn’t expect to win 4-0 last year and to score four goals. We needed to put in a performance that showed we were ourselves, the way that we’ve been and that’s what we did tonight. We did it in many things. It’s not been enough, we’re knocked out.

Guardiola, known for his tactical acumen and leadership, showcased his unwavering support for his team and particularly for Silva, who had an unfortunate miss during the shootout. Silva, alongside Mateo Kovacic, failed to convert from the spot, with Silva’s attempt being notably saved by Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin in a moment that could easily haunt any player. Yet, in the aftermath, Guardiola’s response was one of solidarity and understanding. He acknowledged Silva’s reliability and contribution to the game, emphasizing that such moments happen in football and do not define a player’s worth or contribution to the team.