Pep Guardiola expressed satisfaction with Manchester City‘s top-eight finish in the Champions League group stage.
City secured their spot in the knockout round after a 2-0 victory against Galatasaray on Wednesday. Goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki guaranteed three points and direct progression to the last 16.
The team will find out their potential opponents for the last 16 on Friday, with options including Benfica, Bodo/Glimt, Inter, or Real Madrid.
“We’re really pleased to finish in the top eight considering the current state of the Champions League,” Guardiola stated.
“When I began coaching 16 or 17 years ago, qualifying was less difficult. Nowadays, every team poses a significant challenge, and I’m happy with our progress. I hope we’ll be at our best in March.”
“We started strong and created several chances. We played without proper holding midfielders. Jeremy and Omar performed well, but we had clear opportunities and could have scored more to ensure qualification.”
“I’m pleased we’ve already qualified and have extra time to prepare for the Round of 16. I hope we can be in better shape by then.”
“Look at how many great teams are outside the top 24 and not in the top eight; yet, this is the youngest team I’ve coached in the Champions League.”
“It’s a learning process, and I hope Rodri, Marc, and Semenyo will be back by that time. That’s encouraging news.”
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