Pep Guardiola Criticizes Manchester City Despite Victory Over Real Madrid

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola delivered a surprisingly harsh assessment of his team’s performance despite their 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at the newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu.

City claimed the win through goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland, but Guardiola insisted that the result did not reflect the level he expects from his team.

Guardiola: “We Are Not Ready”

Speaking after the match, Guardiola admitted that playing at the Bernabéu is always difficult, especially for players experiencing it for the first time. Yet he made it clear that Manchester City still have a long way to go.

“Could be better. So difficult here. Four or five players played for the first time here. Winning here, we have to be happy in terms of points,” Guardiola told the BBC. “But we started with a mistake, and we found it hard. We take it, but we are not ready.”

He said the target remains finishing in the top eight of this Champions League format, but warned that City are far from their peak.

Praising Individual Performances

Despite his overall criticism, Guardiola highlighted some standout displays:

• Matheus Nunes

• Jeremy Doku

• Rayan Cherki – first appearance at the Bernabéu

• Nico O’Reilly – who delivered what Guardiola called an “incredible performance”

He noted that these players were key to grinding out the victory during difficult spells.

Respect For Madrid’s Attack

Guardiola also applauded Real Madrid’s attacking trio of:

• Rodrygo

• Vinicius Jr

• Jude Bellingham

Their speed and threat, he said, forced City to defend deeper than usual.

“The pace they have up front is so dangerous. You can’t stay high — you have to be committed defensively.”

Improving Before February

Guardiola ended his comments by stressing that Manchester City must improve significantly before the Champions League knockout stages.

“We are not ready. In February, we will be better. These kinds of games — we have been here before, played better, and lost. The players made a big effort, but we still have much to improve.”

Despite the victory, Guardiola’s message was clear: this Manchester City side is winning, but nowhere near the level he demands.