Guardiola accepts PSG were better after Man City collapse

Guardiola

After Manchester City lost 4-2 to Paris St Germain in Champions League action Pep Guardiola acknowledged his team was thoroughly beaten and their chances of advancing out of the group stage now appear slim. 

On Wednesday Guardiola’s team let a two-goal advantage fade after PSG scored four goals in the second half. The match left City in 26th place on the standings table and prevented them from qualifying for the playoffs. 

The team needs to defeat Club Brugge at home in their final league match on January 29 to secure their spot in the next round. 

He explained that City had their chances but PSG performed better because they were faster and stronger in their physical battles. They were fast.  The best team won.  The game was never like we wanted.  

“To play you have to play.  The team needed to maintain possession to secure our result but we failed to control the ball. Because they possessed the ball more often and attacked better the game became harder for us. 

In November City had suffered a similar defeat against Feyenoord when they gave up a three-goal lead to end in a 3-3 draw. 

When asked about the possibility of City — Champions League victors in 2023 not going through, Guardiola said: “It could happen.  We will see.  

Our team needs to win this match against Brugge to earn their spot in the next round. Our upcoming road games will test our team because this is the reality of the competition. We didn’t get enough points.”  

According to ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand the Premier League champions should feel ashamed for not making it out of group play. 

According to Rio Ferdinand Manchester City reached such high levels of success that fans now expect them to qualify as a minimum in the knockout stage. 

City sees itself as a team that needs to reach the knockout phase every year so losing now would feel like an embarrassment to them. 

During the match Guardiola showed his frustration by waving his arms while admitting his team lost because their midfield suffered from the absence of their Ballon d’Or winner Rodri through a season-ending knee injury. 

He mentioned that all football outcomes depend on what happens in the center of the pitch and they will make their stand at home. 

PSG manager Luis Enrique celebrated the victory because it strengthened his team according to him and former Barcelona teammate Guardiola. 

He explained to reporters that his team wanted to face the world’s top team and succeeded in their goal. 

Our performance against Manchester City shows we can beat any opponent in football.

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