Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was gracious in defeat after dreams of a historic second successive treble were dashed by a stubborn Real Madrid on April 17, in a Champions League quarter-final game the English club had thoroughly commanded.
Following a 1-1 draw on the night which meant it was 4-4 on aggregate, Real held on to dispatch the holders 4-3 in a shoot-out at the Etihad Stadium to secure their semi-final berth against Bayern Munich.
It was sweet revenge after City ousted the Spanish side in last season's semi-finals on their way to winning their first title.
"Congratulations to Real Madrid, they defend so deep, with incredible solidarity," Guardiola, 53, said.
"We did everything. I have no regrets about what we've done. Defensively, offensively, we played exceptional in all departments, in everything, and unfortunately, we couldn't win, so that's what it is." After capturing their first treble the English Premier League,
Champions League and FA Cup titles last season, City appeared on track to become the first team in history to claim the three trophies in back-to-back years.
This story is from the April 19, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the April 19, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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