Pep Guardiola has identified four clubs he believes have what it takes to win the Champions League following Manchester City’s exit at the hands of Real Madrid. City suffered a 6-3 aggregate defeat in the knockout stage, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick in the second leg.
Notably, Guardiola did not consider Arsenal among the contenders for the title, instead backing the defending champions as the favorites. Speaking at the Etihad Stadium after City’s 3-1 loss to Madrid, he said: “Madrid are always a contender, definitely. But there are other strong teams as well. It will be an exciting Champions League season, but Madrid are always the favorites for this trophy.”
He went on to mention Liverpool, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain—led by his friend Luis Enrique—as other strong competitors. However, he reiterated that Madrid remains the team to beat.
City’s elimination by Real Madrid marks the third time in four years that they have been knocked out by the Spanish giants. Acknowledging their superiority, Guardiola admitted: “The best team won. They deserved it. In previous seasons, we were better than Madrid, but this time, that wasn’t the case. In the Champions League, quality always makes the difference. Madrid controlled possession well, played dynamically, and pressed effectively.”
Despite the disappointment, he emphasized the need to move forward: “Nothing lasts forever. We have to learn from this, focus on winning the FA Cup, securing a top-four finish in the Premier League, and qualifying for the Champions League again next season. I have little to criticize my players for in how they have performed in this competition over the years.”
Reflecting on past encounters with Madrid, Guardiola remarked: “In previous eliminations, I felt we were very close. We reached semi-finals and finals. But when a team is simply better, you have to accept it and congratulate them.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal will face either PSV or Feyenoord in the round of 16, with both Dutch teams making headlines by eliminating Juventus and AC Milan, respectively.
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