Manchester City deserve to be “on the sofa with a glass of wine” for Champions League knockout phase, says Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City have no business in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages this season after their play-off exit against Real Madrid.

A 6-3 aggregate defeat to the competition’s most decorated club saw the Premier League champions bow out of Europe in disappointing fashion – the first time City had failed to reach the knockout phase of the tournament since the 2012/13 campaign.

Real Madrid came from behind twice to pick up an away win as City capitulated towards the end of the opening leg at the Etihad Stadium, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu to pile on this season’s misery for the Blues.

Manchester City are in fifth place in the Premier League and have 10 games to go in their fight to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, starting on Sunday against Brighton and Hove Albion.

A late Callum Hudson-Odoi strike last week at the City Ground saw third-placed Nottingham Forest open up a four-point lead over Manchester City in their bid to finish in the European spots.

Pep Guardiola has not held any punches when reflecting on City’s displays in this season’s Champions League, brutally admitting that the Blues just haven’t been up to the mark and deservedly crashed out against Real Madrid, who were the better team by far over 180 minutes.

Previewing Saturday’s meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion, the 54-year-old was quizzed on the dramatic ties played out in the Champions League Round of 16 in the last few weeks, and whether he felt bitter over City’s absence from the competition.

“I don’t have any disappointment and regret – we don’t deserve to be there (in the Champions League knockouts),” the Catalan told reporters during his pre-match media duties at the City Football Academy on Friday.

“Enjoy football, the fantastic games that were at Anfield or in Paris (between Liverpool and Paris Saint-German) – the competitiveness in Madrid (between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid), how good Barcelona is playing all season, the way they played for 65, 70 minutes against Benfica.

“I’m just a spectator to learn, see it, enjoy it – and absolutely, I don’t have the feeling: ‘Ah it’s a pity Manchester City are not there’. This season, Manchester City deserved to be on the sofa with a glass of wine.”