Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said there were no regrets after his side’s Champions League title defense ended in a painful penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid at the Etihad on Thursday night. Notably, City’s aspirations to retain their UEFA Champions League crown were dashed in a penalty shootout against Real Madrid as the tie, which ended 4-4 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw on the night, was decided in the most nerve-wracking manner, with Real Madrid emerging victorious 4-3 in the shootout.

Amidst the high tension and the ultimate disappointment for Manchester City, Bernardo Silva found himself at the center of a crucial moment many feared could be pinpointed as the reason for City’s exit. However, Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, stood firmly by his player, refusing to attribute the loss to Silva’s missed penalty. “Bernardo asked to take it, he’s a reliable player and decided to shoot in that way,” Guardiola said after the game.

“Bernardo, what a game he played. It happens. We did everything. I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. We played exceptional in all departments and unfortunately we could not win. It is what it is. It’s football. In this competition, that’s the way football happens. In other sports, for statistics we would have won but in football it’s the marvellous thing about football is this is what happens. The way that we played, the amount of shots that we had, being in there and the transitions we had.

Source: India Today