Guardiola Under Pressure: Man City Boss Appears Stressed After Defeat to Real Madrid

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola appeared visibly stressed following his team’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. Fans noticed what seemed to be fresh scratches on the 54-year-old’s head as he watched his side surrender a late 2-1 lead at the Etihad Stadium.

This is not the first time Guardiola has been spotted with marks on his head after disappointing results. Earlier in the season, he sported cuts after City gave up a 3-0 lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League group stage.

The match started promisingly for City, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring. However, Real Madrid equalized through Kylian Mbappe before Haaland restored City’s lead from the penalty spot. Late goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham turned the game on its head, leaving City with an uphill battle for the second leg in Madrid.

After the match, Guardiola expressed his frustration, saying: “We started the game really well in the first ten minutes and took it to them. In the second half we tried to attack too quickly. Sometimes it is not the best performance compared to the ones we had in the last three seasons but it happens because they [Real Madrid] are an exceptional team.”

Defender John Stones struggled to explain the collapse, stating: “It’s a feeling of anger and frustration. We need to see games out better. The manager said we need to take accountability for what we do on the pitch.”

City will face Real Madrid again in the second leg next Wednesday, with a difficult task ahead to overturn the deficit. In the meantime, they host Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to bounce back from this setback.