The Spanish Pep Guardiola, coach of Manchester City, expressed his admiration for the way Real Madrid played in the Champions League match.

Man City exited the Champions League competitions in the quarter-finals after falling to Real Madrid on penalties 3-4 after a draw in the aggregate of the two matches 4-4, as the first leg ended 3-3 and the return match 1-1.

Real Madrid surprised everyone with the defensive match it played against Man City at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg, as it abandoned any offensive appearance except for the only goal scored by Brazilian Rodrigo in the 12th minute of the first half.

Regarding this matter, Guardiola said in statements in the press conference before Chelsea’s match in the FA Cup: “I did not expect the way Real Madrid played, but they showed a wonderful defensive image and were able to qualify.”

He added: “Did you expect that Real Madrid would not get the ball or not have any chances? Of course, no one would have imagined this way.”

He continued: “This is not the first time we have been eliminated from the Champions League, but what we presented was amazing, because Real Madrid defended well, and we could not defend like they did, but I am proud of my team.”

He continued: “We have recovered from this match and we must focus on what comes next, because we will be better than before, and tomorrow we will be better than today.”

He ended his statements by talking about the next match against Chelsea, saying: “It is a good team and has a wonderful group of young people, and our goal is to reach the final match, and I believe that Kevin De Bruyne will be ready to play the match while Erling Haaland’s position has not been decided.”