Pep Guardiola bemoans pointless possession of "really poor" Manchester City

ByReuters

Updated 07/03/2018 at 23:28 GMT

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola labelled his team's second-half performance against Basel as "really, really poor" and said their possession play had been largely pointless in their 2-1 Champions League defeat on Wednesday.

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen second leg football match between Manchester City and Basel at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 7, 20

Image credit: Getty Images

City advanced to the quarter-finals 5-2 on aggregate thanks to their 4-0 first-leg win in Switzerland, but while Guardiola fielded a weakened side at the Etihad Stadium he was still unhappy with his team's first home loss in over a year.

City completed 978 passes, the most recorded by a side in a Champions League match since such statistics began being recorded in 2003, but Guardiola was not impressed.

"The first half was quite good but in the second half we forgot to attack, we forgot to play. When we pass the ball we do it to move through the opponents to attack - just to pass the ball for itself is nothing and the second half was really really poor," Guardiola told reporters.

Champions League

Coefficient rankings: Premier League hopes in tatters as Italy secures extra spot

6 hours ago

"It is not easy to play with a 4-0 lead. We tried, we spoke about that and I think what we showed in the first half we showed we wanted to win the game. We created a lot of chances and we were good.

Image credit: Getty Images

"But after 1-1 in the second half, it didn’t happen. We just passed for itself and when that happens, that is not football," he added.

The result ended a 36-game unbeaten run for City at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions and the Spaniard acknowledged that his team selection had impacted Wednesday's outcome.

"You will find all the clubs in the world when you make six or seven changes, always the team is not the same," he said.

Kevin Bua of FC Basel holds off pressure from Alexander Zinchenko of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Manchester City and FC Basel at Etihad Stadium on March 7, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Image credit: Getty Images

"That's why I insisted to start well and we did well in the first half. In the second half we just passed the ball to pass the ball. It was everything slowly, without rhythm."

Guardiola did have some positive words for 17-year-old English midfielder Phil Foden, who delivered a confident display in a rare start.

"He was good. In the second half, with Leroy (Sane), he was the only one who tried to be aggressive."

Champions League

'We were better than them' - Guardiola bemoans missed chances as City suffer exit

20 hours ago

Champions League

'I could never dream of it' - Bellingham hoping for 'more nights like these' after beating City

20 hours ago

Champions League

'They can’t believe it' - Ferdinand reveals how Bellingham has wowed Real greats

Yesterday at 19:27

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me