Guardiola Criticizes Real Madrid and Bernabeu Turf Following Thrilling City Encounter

After Manchester City's thrilling 3-3 draw against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu stadium in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Pep Guardiola couldn't resist taking a subtle jab at the turf conditions. Real Madrid had obtained special permission from UEFA to close the roof of their recently renovated stadium.

When asked about this in the post-match interview, Guardiola commented, "I personally prefer to see the sky, but there's no denying that the stadium is impressive. Now, they just need to take better care of the grass."

He went on to clarify, "Please don't misunderstand me, it's an incredible piece of architecture. Back when I was playing, the Bernabeu had a pitch that was like a carpet, an absolute carpet. I'm sure they'll fix it though."

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In an interview with Movistar, Pep Guardiola continued to praise the Bernabeu stadium while reiterating his remarks about the need for improved grass conditions. He mentioned that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez should focus on ensuring a good pitch.

Regarding the match itself, Guardiola acknowledged that it was a highly entertaining game and believed that viewers would have enjoyed it.

"Both teams wanted to attack. In different ways, but they wanted to attack. You spend the day worrying about how to stop Real Madrid's transitions, but it's impossible.

"We already know that in this ground, the game is never over with Madrid. We had the quality to score two great goals," Guardiola added.

Reflecting on his halftime team talk, which seemed to have a positive impact, Guardiola revealed that he emphasized to the players that there was still a significant amount of time left in the game and discussed their approach.

Despite failing to secure a victory, Guardiola acknowledged that winning against Real Madrid at their home ground is challenging but not impossible.

"You have to minimize them. It's not just their legs, they have the ability to dribble and then Kroos, who moves the team in the way that only Toni can. We got a result," Guardiola concluded on this.

With the tie now evenly poised, Manchester City and Real Madrid will face each other again on April 17, with a spot in the UEFA Champions League semifinals at stake.

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