MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola disclosed that the Manchester City team watched the thrilling conclusion of Benfica‘s last-minute victory over Real Madrid while in the dressing room, feeling anxious as goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin moved into the box and scored the pivotal fourth goal.
A late equalizer from Real Madrid in Lisbon could have resulted in a 3-3 draw, putting City at risk of dropping out of the Champions League top eight.
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As the match stood at 3-2, Benfica’s manager Jose Mourinho encouraged Trubin to push forward into the penalty area in the dying moments, leading to the goalkeeper’s header that secured a 4-2 victory and a spot in the playoffs on goal difference.
This outcome allowed City to finish eighth in the standings, avoiding a two-legged playoff in February.
However, as players and staff observed the unfolding drama, Guardiola expressed concern when Benfica left their goal unguarded to aim for another score.
“We were all there unaware that Benfica needed a goal to qualify, so when the goalkeeper advanced, we thought, ‘Why is he going up?’ because Madrid could equalize and put us out,” Guardiola noted.
“But it turned out to be a clever tactic from Jose to score the fourth goal, didn’t it?”
When asked if he intended to send Mourinho a thank-you message, Guardiola responded, “Absolutely.”
It was an encouraging night for Guardiola, whose squad effectively defeated Galatasaray 2-0, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scoring the goals.
The only setback was an injury to Jérémy Doku, who assisted on both goals before exiting due to a calf injury.
“The first half was stronger than the second,” Guardiola said.
“I’m truly pleased to secure a top-eight finish considering the current state of the Champions League.”
“When I started out 16 or 17 years ago, the Champions League was a different competition. Today, every team is extraordinarily challenging.”
“I’m very happy we don’t have to participate in a playoff and I hope we can arrive in March [for the last 16] in peak form.”