Pep Guardiola admits the matches against Real Madrid are always difficult and Man City can hardly win as destruction as the media expect.
Man City dominated in the opening period of the game but conceded a goal from Real Madrid’s only shot in the first half. It was a stretch shot from outside the box by Vinicius Junior that sent Ederson into the net to pick up the ball.
But Man City equalized in a similar way in the second half. De Bruyne silenced the Bernabeu bridge with a low shot from outside the box to beat Courtois.
Man City actively slowed down in the late game and preserved the draw. Pep Guardiola’s side can progress to this year’s Champions League final with an overwhelming performance at the Etihad next week.
“When we played better, they scored. When they play better, we score,” Pep Guardiola told BT Sport. “It was a close match. The Bernabeu, a semi-final, is always a tough game. We have good times and bad times. That is evident with the quality they have on the ball.
This is a 1-1 draw. For us, next week’s match will be the final. Now we’ll go back to Manchester and see what we can do better. When playing matches like this, the story is like a play-off. In the second leg, you learn a lot after the first leg. Hopefully we’ve learned a lot.”
Pep Guardiola was shocked to hear a reporter saying that all believed Man City would destroy Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. He replied: “Who are all these people? You know who we’re up against? Do you know how many Champions League titles Real Madrid have won? It’s not my fault that people thought we were going to win 6-0.”