"We were our best but it wasn't enough" states Pep after defeat to Real Madrid
By Hidayah Ali
Manchester City's treble hope is officially over, as their journey in the Champions League comes to an end.
After a nailbiting first leg, which ended in a 3-3 draw, the second game saw Real Madrid find the back of the net 12 minutes in through Rodrygo. It took until the 76th minute for City to finally get themselves a goal back and level the scoreline, when Kevin De Bruyne's effort was successful.
Extra time saw no further goals despite chances for both clubs, therefore the winner would be decided on penalties. The shootout ended 4-3 in Real Madrid's favour but in heartbreak for the Cityzens.
The club and its supporters will feel sorrow, who not only were favourites to win the tie but also for the whole competition.
But, they did not have an easy opponent by any means to overcome, and despite City being the better-performing side, when it comes to the Champions League that isn't always enough.
For City, they still have more to play for, as they are now at the top of the table in the Premier League as the title race continues, and also, a FA Cup semi-final meeting with Chelsea arrives.
Pep Guardiola spoke after the game, where he said, "Congratulations to Real Madrid. We did everything. We did everything, defensively and offensively. We played exceptionally well in all departments, but unfortunately, we could not win. It is what it is."
"I have a duty to say thank you to my players for the way they played but this is about results. They will be in the semi-finals, we will not. The performance and commitment was exceptional."
"Everyone was at a high level. To beat Real Madrid, we had to perform our best. We were our best but it was not enough."
Disappointingly for Pep and this squad, while they gave their best, it just wasn't enough to overcome Madrid.
When considering the statistics that represent how City played, they were ahead of Madrid in many aspects. But when it comes to these games, the only thing that matters is the goals.
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Man City's attention will now turn to their next fixture, which comes against Chelsea in the FA Cup. While City hasn't been able to gain a win over Chelsea so far this season (both resulted in a draw), they will need to change that and fight for a win over the Blues.
The Premier League and FA Cup are still within sight but will require everything and more if Man City are to attain both titles again.