Manchester City didn’t kick off the season at their best. An inconsistent start saw them lose ground in both the Premier League and Champions League, ceding the lead to Arsenal in both competitions. However, they turned their fortunes around, notably defeating Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to climb the standings. Adding to this achievement, Pep Guardiola set a new record, further cementing his legacy in soccer history.
According to MisterChip on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pep Guardiola now holds the record for the most wins by a coach against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, with seven victories. These include legendary encounters such as Barcelona’s 2–6 triumph in 2009. Moreover, he has only suffered three defeats, underscoring his dominance over Los Blancos throughout his illustrious career.
While this record underscores his legendary legacy, Pep Guardiola downplayed the significance of this particular victory, reflecting on other memorable matches. “The first times are different, the first was the 2–6, that one was about winning La Liga and this is only about moving forward in the competition. We might meet again later on. Beating Madrid at their home is something I value a lot, just like beating Barça, Atleti, Villarreal,” he said in the post-game press conference.
With a large part of the season still ahead, Manchester City have a long road to go in the Champions League, making this victory just another step toward their real objective, which is winning the title again. Tied with Atalanta at 13 points, and with Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Liverpool just one point behind, any slip could send them into the playoffs and put their direct qualification at risk.
Jeremy Doku of Manchester City clashes with Federico Valverde of Real Madrid.
Guardiola is highly critical of Manchester City’s performance
While Manchester City secured a win against Real Madrid, the team struggled to display their best form throughout the match. The Citizens not only lost the ball possession but also lacked effectiveness in front of goal. Despite taking eight shots on target, they converted only two of those opportunities. In response, Pep Guardiola offered a candid critique of his team’s performance.
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“Madrid were much better than us at the start; Rodrygo, Bellingham, and Gonzalo caused us a lot of damage. We couldn’t control the balls we were losing; there was no option. In the end, we are learning, because I’m sure that in the future we are going to improve,” Guardiola said in the post-game press conference.
Taking advantage of the spaces behind the defensive line, Real Madrid managed to cause significant damage throughout the match, even becoming the first team to score. Both Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham were able to open up plenty of gaps, but Pep Guardiola’s reorganization halted any momentum from Los Blancos. However, the Citizens were unable to regain control of the match, something the Spanish coach did not hesitate to complain about.
