Manchester City-Real Madrid, Guardiola and Ancelotti in the post-match of the Champions League

The first round is of Real. With a sensational comeback in the final closed by Jude Bellingham with the goal of 3-2 at 92 ‘, with the triumph of Carlo Ancelotti and a new slap for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, ahead 2-1 at 80’ and crushed once again From those mistakes that torment him and that this year he cannot avoid. The parade of the two coaches in the stomach of the Ethhad after the first leg of the Champions League playoffs is a contrast of emotions: Ancelotti’s happiness, reminding him that the return is “a trap to avoid and face like this first game” , and the resignation of Guardiola for the errors that continue to punish the city combined with the determination of “trying” to overturn things on the way back.

Quality and sacrifice

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Ancelotti has a clear idea of ​​how Real has won: the quality of the four phenomena in front of it and the sacrifice of all in the defensive phase. “We played a complete game, one that has shown us to be able to be balanced even with this structure, which is what we want to carry on – he explains -. But the team surprised me from the point of view of the sacrifice: I did not believe that at this point he was able to play in this way. Instead the more the emergency increases, the more the team wants to sacrifice itself. This result gives us a small advantage for the return after playing an excellent game, of which we must be happy because it was not possible to close the qualifying speech here already. We must prepare the return, so we will need Rudiger and Alaba who should return, with the same intensity and the same desire for the sacrifice as this challenge. A victory like this, however, gives you enormous trust for the next games “. Of his four offensive phenomena that made the difference, Carlo dedicates a thought to Vinicius, caused before the game by a huge banner of the City fans who citing a song by the Vip Oasis fans invited him to stop crying for the Golden Ball Not won. “I don’t know if Vini saw him (the Brazilian said yes, editor’s note): if he saw him it was a great motivation for him. It has always been dangerous, but all four have been. “

ERRORS

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Pep has less of being happy with, even if he repeats that his players could not “ask for more”. In addition to the compliments for how Ancelotti made Real play, the balance he has seen on the pitch, there is the awareness that his City at the moment has a problem that he cannot solve: those defensive errors cost the ribaltone. “After the 2-1 we did something that we have already done many times this year: granted something on a defensive level to the opponents -says Pep -. At this level you cannot afford it, it becomes too difficult. We have talked about it many times, but it is something that continues to happen, that we cannot change. It is not a problem of a single player, these are readings that we cannot do on the field, that we continue to make mistakes. If we continue on this road we cannot be competitive. I have been here for many years: our secret is that we were a car, which we made the difference every three days. It is not only the fault of the players but everyone, I understood myself: I have no problems accepting that it no longer works. Players have a huge desire to win, but the truth is that we are not continuous and we continue to make the same mistakes. We have to learn, try to go on ”. Next is the Bernabeu next Wednesday, the return with Real after this bad defeat. And the increasingly stronger feeling that that Champions League in which the City plays at least the quarters since 2018 is inexorably escaping hands.