The Evening Standard reports that Pep Guardiola had to deal with injury management throughout the high-stakes match as important players Manuel Akanji, Erling Haaland, and Kevin De Bruyne all asked to be replaced.
Guardiola expressed concern over the fitness of De Bruyne and Haaland following their premature exits, stating the impact their absence could have on the team’s upcoming matches.
“The game we were playing, they were amazing,” Guardiola said about De Bruyne and Haaland. “I am not a big fan of making a lot of substitutions but Kevin, Erling, and Manu asked me to go out.”
Despite the disappointment of the Champions League exit, Guardiola remains grateful for his team’s efforts. “We created the chances to do it but football is about scoring goals,” he said.
“Madrid did it better from the penalty spot. But I have the opportunity to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to these players. The performance, the commitment was exceptional”. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
