City Boss Pep Guardiola Stands Firm After Real Madrid Through
Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City will bounce back from 3-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola vows to overturn 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid...
Pep Guardiola can draw some comfort from avoiding a heavier defeat, thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma's penalty save with just over 30 minutes left. The City boss has faced Real Madrid 29 times, winning 14, and showed his trademark resilience despite his team's struggles.
Guardiola said, “I didn't feel powerless,” highlighting his team's efforts despite the tough outing. Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa was thrilled with his team's performance, which provided a welcome respite in a turbulent season.
“Now everything is more difficult in our mindset, but we'll be there. We'll try with our people at the end, we agree we can do better to be most active in the final third and we'll try,” the Spaniard told reporters.
Pep Guardiola remains optimistic about Manchester City's chances of advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals despite their 3-0 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16 tie. The City manager believes his team will bounce back, saying, “I don't think we have much chance, but I'm not a guy to say we're not going to try.”
Guardiola praised his team's performance, stating that they played quite well, but conceded that Real Madrid's quality and speed on the counter-attack proved too much. He also highlighted Federico Valverde's impressive hat-trick, calling him a “fantastic player.“
The City boss is looking forward to the return leg at the Etihad Stadium, where he expects his team to be more active in the final third. “We'll be there with our people, and in football, you never know,” Guardiola said.
🚨 Pep Guardiola on return leg against Real Madrid: “We will see with our people… I'm pretty sure they will come and in football you never know”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 11, 2026
“We will see if we're going to find something, or we're going to read what they have to do, and we'll try”, told TNT Sports. pic.twitter.com/yomq3Cfuzl
Alvaro Arbeloa has enjoyed a promising run as Real Madrid coach since taking over from Xabi Alonso in January, but it's not been without its bumps - think Osasuna and Getafe debacles. However, Federico Valverde stole the show, scoring a hat-trick in the first half, a feat that's more impressive considering he had scored just as many goals in his previous 75 Champions League appearances.
Valverde's performance was the highlight of a solid team effort, and it's clear why he's become a fan favorite. Arbeloa's side is looking sharp, and this win provides a much-needed boost for the team.
“I don't know if in the end he's going to end up hating me because of how annoyingly I've been nagging him about trying to convey how important he is to the team,” Arbeloa said.
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