Manchester City and Real Madrid played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday evening
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola questioned the state of the Bernabeu pitch following his side’s 3-3 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
An enthralling contest saw the hosts twice come from behind to leave the tie level at the halfway stage, as Fede Valverde’s volley 11 minutes from time set up a winner-takes-all clash at the Etihad Stadium next week.
Having spent 12 years as a Barcelona player and four as manager, City chief Guardiola has plenty of experience at the Bernabeu but expressed his concerns regarding the current state of the stadium’s pitch following Tuesday night’s match.
Manchester City in action at the Bernabeu (Image credit: Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
“I haven’t set foot on it, but that’s what the players have told me," said Guardiola. "Don’t let the president take it the wrong way or let the people take it the wrong way. The field is spectacular, the locker rooms… it’s an impressive piece of work.
"I remember that Real Madrid always had very good grass, it was like a carpet, but today that was not the case. But I’m sure that they will fix it, no doubt about it and no problem."
City midfielder Rodri was one of the players to hit out at the pitch condition, saying: "You can’t see it from above all the time. "Sometimes it seems that a grass is fine and only when you get to the pitch you realise that it is not."
The second leg of the quarter-final takes place on Wednesday, April 17, as City look to continue the defence of their crown.
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For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include tomes on Leeds United and the England national team.
