Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are “close” to getting back to their best despite their comprehensive Champions League defeat by Real Madrid. City’s hopes of repeating their 2023 European success were ended this week as the Spanish giants completed a 5-1 aggregate success in the last 16. “I have the feeling that in many things it is just underneath, it will flourish,” said Guardiola, whose side are also through to the FA Cup quarter-finals. We played really well but there were many things behind the scenes we could not control and the season was not good. “The gap is a little but in many aspects we are an extraordinary team.”Pressed on what was still missing, Guardiola said at a press conference: “I won’t tell you but I know it and the players know it.”

Source: Irish Examiner March 21, 2026 22:45 UTC