Monaco-Man City: Pep Guardiola rues first-half display in defeat
The Manchester City boss said his side weren't at the races in the first 45 as they exited the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola rued his team's first-half display after being knocked out of the Champions League last 16 by Monaco on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappé and Fabinho scored inside the opening half hour as Monaco, trailing 5-3 from the first leg, wrested away control of the tie at the Stade Louis II.
Leroy Sané netted on 71 minutes as City regained a 6-5 aggregate lead, but Tiémoué Bakayoko's header then sent the Premier League side out on away goals.
Guardiola: City weren't up to it in first half
"It's how we were in the first 45 minutes, that is the only sad thing for me," Guardiola said after failing to make the quarter-finals for the first time as a coach.
"You can play and the opponent can beat you but we were not there. At the right moment, you should be there but we were not.
"Normally we play all the time at a good level but at that moment [the first half] we didn't. But it happens and we'll learn. We have a team with not a lot of experience in these types of competitions."
Guardiola: "We had the chances in the second half"
Despite improving after the break, City failed to capitalise on their opportunities, and the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss lamented his team's profligacy.
"We had the chances in the second half," Guardiola said. "We had the chances to score a lot of goals and we didn't, that's why we're out."
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