Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola rejected “luck” as the reason Real Madrid beat his team on penalties and qualified for the Champions League semi-finals.
City wasted a barrage of opportunities throughout regular and extra time, and settled for a 1-1 draw, leading to a penalty shootout that saw goalkeeper Andrey Lunin shine, and Real Madrid won 4-3.
When Guardiola was asked in the press conference about the idea that Real Madrid was lucky, he replied, “Johan Cruyff once told me that luck does not exist in football, and I agree with him on that.”
He also added, “Going out this way is very painful. I feel sorry because we did everything we could, but we also have no regrets. We played great football but in the end we did not succeed in winning.”
Guardiola had also confirmed that replacing Erling Haaland in extra time was based on the desire of the Norwegian player, and the same was true for Manuel Akanji and Kevin De Bruyne.
It is noteworthy that Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the first leg being held at the Allianz Arena at the end of April, while the return match will be played a week later at the Santiago Bernabeu.
