Guardiola concedes defeat, admits Manchester City are outmatched following Madrid setback

Manchester City's Spanish coach Pep Guardiola was seen observing the action during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on March 11, 2026.

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Following a crushing defeat to Real Madrid, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has conceded that his team faces an uphill battle, yet remains resolute in their pursuit of a comeback in the return leg.

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The Premier League champions suffered a 3–0 loss to the Spanish giants on Wednesday evening, courtesy of a brilliant hat-trick from Frederico Valverede, leaving them with a daunting challenge ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

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Guardiola acknowledged the magnitude of the defeat during his post-match press conference, admitting that overturning the result will be a formidable task, stating "I don’t think we have much chance, but I have to say, of course, we’re going to try."

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He also expressed his intention to rally his team, saying "We’ll be there with our people and we’ll do our best to be more active in the final third," while also noting that the scoreline could have been worse, "Obviously 3-0 is better than four."

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Guardiola praised the quality of Real Madrid, highlighting the influential role of midfielder Federico Valverde, whose performance helped control the game.

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The Spanish manager revealed that his team will use the coming days to recover and prepare for another attempt when the two sides meet again, saying "We have six days, we recover and we will try again."

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Despite the significant deficit, Guardiola suggested that the performance itself did not fully reflect the margin of defeat, stating "I had a feeling that we were better than the result said… but the result is here."

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He noted that his team will have to regroup quickly, saying "We have one week and then we will see them at the Etihad," and acknowledged the possibility of staging a comeback in front of their home supporters.

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Guardiola pointed out that football often produces unpredictable outcomes, saying "Now we recover mentally and physically and go to West Ham, then we will see."

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He expressed his confidence in the support of their fans, saying "We will be with our people — I’m pretty sure they will come — and in football you never know," and vowed to try again, saying "We will try."

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The 2023 UCL Champions must now regroup quickly for the decisive return leg against Madrid, where they will need a remarkable performance to overturn the three-goal deficit.