Pep Guardiola set another unwanted record in his semi-final heartbreak against Real Madrid in the Champions League second leg, which saw his side knocked out of the competition in the most surprising fashion.
It was a quite astonishing turnaround in a game that, for 89 minutes, Manchester City appeared to be comfortable, having consolidated their slender aggregate lead with a Riyad Mahrez strike midway through the second half.
Another night for the Champions League history books!
Heartbreak for Man City. Jubilation for Real Madrid.
Football really is something else!
#UCL pic.twitter.com/4nOS7Y21r5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 4, 2022
However, cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Real Madrid substitute Rodrygo nodded in twice in stoppage time, the first what looked set to be only a consolation and the second to take the tie to added time against a clearly shellshocked Manchester City.
And, five minutes into the first half of extra time, Ruben Dias gave away a reckless penalty that Karim Benzema coolly converted, sending the Real Madrid fans into jubilation and Los Blancos into yet another Champions League final, to take on quadruple-chasing Liverpool.
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Guardiola sets unwanted record
In falling at the semi-final stage once more, Pep Guardiola joined Jose Mourinho at the head of an unwanted record. Now, the Spaniard and the Portuguese share the unfortunate stat of being the managers knocked out most at the semi-final stage of the Champions League, having both failed at this hurdle six times with their respective clubs.
6 – Pep Guardiola ha sufrido seis eliminaciones en semifinales de la Liga de Campeones (2009-10 y 2011-12 con el Barcelona, 2013-14, 2014-15 y 2015-16 con el Bayern de Múnich), récord de cualquier entrenador junto con José Mourinho. Varapalo. pic.twitter.com/QN9xqugWNC
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 4, 2022
And, with the current hoodoo that Guardiola seems to be under, he could well pull clear of Mourinho in the coming seasons.
