Pep Guardiola: Fine details cost Manchester City against Real Madrid in 2022

Pep Guardiola has pinpointed why his Manchester City side lost out to Real Madrid last season.

City face a reunion with Los Blancos in a Champions League semi final battle, for the second season in a row, as Guardiola’s team aim for a potential trophy treble in 2023.

Guardiola’s charges looked well placed to reach his second Champions League final at City, after winning the first leg 4-3 in Manchester, and leading in the second leg in 2022.

Carlo Ancelotti’s hosts produced a sensational late rally to win the tie on aggregate in extra time and dump City out at the last four hurdle.

However, Guardiola insisted the gap between the two sides was not significant in 2022, and it is not now, with minor details in the game the difference between reaching the final, and bowing out.

“We came here better mentally last year, after winning the first leg, and look what happened,” as per reports from the Manchester Evening News.

“Mendy took a ball off the line, Courtois made a huge save, and what happened happened. Those details lead you to a final or not.”

Ancelotti is aiming to become only the second manager to defend a Champions League title this season with Guardiola battling to win his first European trophy since 2011.