Pep Guardiola insisted his Manchester City side performed better than the 3-0 scoreline suggests, following their heavy first-leg loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Despite the comprehensive defeat, the City manager remained optimistic about his team’s chances in the return fixture. "I have the feeling that it was better than the result says. But the result is here," Guardiola stated. Acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, he added, "3-0 is better than 4-0. Tough result, we cannot deny it... but we're gonna try."
The two sides are scheduled to meet again for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on 17 March 2026. City will need a significant turnaround at home to overturn the deficit and progress to the quarter-finals.