City boss admits relief after comeback win at Bernabéu but warns his team must be “better” to compete for Champions League
Pep Guardiola offered a sobering assessment of his team’s dramatic 2-1 Champions League victory at Real Madrid, describing a win born more from “soul and heart” than perfect performance.
While his Manchester City side came from behind to secure a pivotal three points thanks to goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland, the manager’s post-match focus was fixed squarely on the higher standard required to win the competition.
“Winning at the Bernabéu is a really big task, don’t misunderstand me,” Guardiola said, acknowledging the weight of the result. “But to reach semi-finals or finals requires a better performance than today. It is not enough.”
Guardiola, a veteran of over 50 visits to the famed stadium, watched his younger players initially struggle under the pressure, conceding that Madrid “were much better” until O’Reilly’s equalizer. He framed the comeback, however, as a crucial lesson.
“This is a good experience for many new players coming here,” he explained. “Everybody feels the pressure. Experiencing winning will help us, and knowing these players, we will be better.”
The victory lifts City into the top eight of the league phase. Yet, for a manager chasing the final piece of a historic treble, the night in Madrid was less a triumph and more a passing grade—a necessary step with the real test still to come.
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