Pep Guardiola was forced to lick his wounds once again after watching his Manchester City side capitulate against Real Madrid in stoppage time to wreck their chances of clinching a maiden Champions League triumph.
“We were close. The players gave everything. We were so close but we couldn’t do it," Guardiola told BT Sport. "In the history of football, this happens. With the people supporting them, it’s more difficult. I had defeats in the Champions League, tough defeats when we could not reach the final, so there's no doubt it's hard for us. We can't deny we were so close to the Champions League final."
Having led 5-3 on aggregate as late as the 90th minute, Guardiola would have probably expected his side to see out the result even considering Real's tendency to pull off a spectacular comeback. And while the Premier League leaders were guilty of failing to manage the game properly in the closing moments, the Man City coach may have some regrets about his own decisions which changed the very face of this tie.
