Pep Guardiola admits Man City got what they 'deserved' ahead of Real Madrid test

Manchester City instrumentality connected Real Madrid successful the archetypal limb of their Champions League play-off circular and lone 1 of the 2 teams volition marque it done to the circular of 16

Pep Guardiola called connected his Manchester City players to prevention their miserable play by knocking Real Madrid retired of the Champions League.

Guardiola knows City's play-off necktie with Real volition marque oregon interruption the astir turbulent play successful their unprecedented epoch of occurrence nether the 54-year-old Spaniard.

Win and they tin acceptable their sights connected winning a 2nd Champions League crown. Lose and each they volition person near to play for this play is the FA Cup and a top-four place.

Guardiola acknowledged City and Real person fallen abbreviated successful Europe this season, which is wherefore the winners of the past 2 years are gathering to determine which broadside progresses and which goes out. And up of the biggest crippled of City's season, Guardiola conceded helium does not cognize which mentation of his broadside volition crook up until the whistle blows and the crippled gets nether way.

“We’ve not been consistent,” admitted Guardiola, up of Tuesday's archetypal limb astatine the Etihad Stadium. “What’s defined the squad implicit the past decennary is that we've been an unthinkable instrumentality each 3 days, different we couldn't triumph six Premier Leagues successful 7 years oregon the unthinkable trophies we person won.

“We tin suffer due to the fact that the opponents are good, but we’ve not been consistent. Of people we tin execute good present and of people we tin execute good successful Madrid, but earlier I tin archer you that volition happen, I don’t cognize however we’ll react.

“You ne'er cognize earlier the crippled what's going to happen, however they volition react. But ever you person a feeling with the players, that they are ever there. Now we person a batch of injuries and the players are a small spot up and down. But I'm beauteous definite the players are looking guardant to the game."

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“We’ve conceded a batch of goals and ever we’ve been a squad that doesn't concede much," Guardiola continued. "But astatine the aforesaid clip I won't contradict that spot with the players who person fixed america an unthinkable decade, playing astatine the precocious modular I cognize we’re susceptible of. So we’re going to prepare, speech with the squad and hopefully we tin execute well.

“Of people it volition beryllium important if we tin get through. We volition inactive beryllium successful the contention and play successful the adjacent round.

"We didn’t get capable points successful the radical stage, not adjacent close. So it’s what we deserved. But our squad has thing peculiar and hopefully we tin beryllium it.”

This is the 5th clip successful six seasons City - presently 5th successful the Premier League - person faced Real successful a Champions League knockout scenario, with some sides going done doubly astatine the disbursal of the other. Guardiola admitted it is intolerable to wholly nullify Real's formidable attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, but claimed City tin power their menace and enforce themselves connected the La Liga leaders.

“All four, they are exceptional,” said Guardiola. “Everybody knows it. So we person to trim their engagement arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. Knowing that is going to hap and accepting it.

“At the aforesaid clip we're going to effort to enforce our game, to beryllium progressive arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable with the shot and beryllium smart, particularly successful the archetypal leg. It's important to work the tempo, due to the fact that we person to play good to instrumentality a bully effect to the Bernabeu.”

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