JAKARTA - Pep Guardiola revealed that the entire Manchester City squad watched the dramatic Benfica vs Real Madrid match in the locker room, Thursday, January 29, 2026, early morning WIB.
The Spanish coach admitted to being panicked by Benfica's late victory over Real Madrid, when goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin stepped forward before scoring the crucial fourth goal.
Guardiola's panic is not about how tense the match is, but rather the fate of Manchester City which is also determined by the Benfica vs Real Madrid match.
If Real Madrid scores and ties the score 3-3, the Citizens will slip out of the top eight of the Champions League group stage, which will leave them failing to qualify directly for the last 16.
On the other hand, with a score of 3-2, Benfica's position is not yet safe to take the playoff path in the last position. Therefore, Manager Jose Mourinho pushed Trubin into the penalty area in the 98th minute.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper headed the ball to score the fourth goal which secured the 4-2 victory and secured their place in the playoffs based on goal difference.
The result also ensured Manchester City finished in eighth place in the standings - the last position to qualify automatically for the knockout phase - and will not face a two-leg playoff in February 2026.
However, in fact, when the players and staff watched the drama, Guardiola admitted that he was worried when Benfica left their goal unguarded to try to score again. He was worried because of Real Madrid's fear of scoring an equalizer.
"We were all there, so we didn't know Benfica needed a goal to qualify. So, when the goalkeeper came forward, we all said why did he do that? If Real Madrid could equalize, we would be eliminated."
"But it was a good strategy for Jose to score the fourth goal, right!" said Guardiola.
Further, asked if he would send a message of thanks to his old rival (Mourinho), Guardiola replied: "Yes, of course."
Apart from that, Manchester City did a good job in the last group match. They beat Galatasaray 2-0 thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.
The only blemish was an injury to Jeremy Doku, who provided assists for both goals before leaving the field with a calf problem.
"The first half was better than the second half. It's great to finish in the top eight considering how the Champions League has changed."
"When I started 16 or 17 years ago, the Champions League was a different kind of tournament. Now every team is really tough."
"I'm very happy we're not playing in the playoffs and hopefully we can arrive in March 2026 (for the last 16) in the best condition," said Guardiola.
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