Pep Guardiola insisted he didn’t see Manchester City’s late penalty shout at RB Leipzig, but cryptically said: “I know what happened.” City dominated the first half at Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 first leg, but were pegged back by a resurgent home side after the break and leave Germany with a 1-1 draw. However, their second-half frustrations could have been forgotten if the referee and the VAR had penalised Benjamin Henrich’s 92nd-minute punch at a ball in the area. City players were furious after the final whistle, and Guardiola appeared to join them in their protests. However, after the game he insisted he hadn’t seen a replay – before suggesting he didn’t need to. Speaking to BT Sport,
Pep Guardiola said: “I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it so I cannot talk but I know what happened in these situations.”
Expanding on his verdict, Guardiola told his post-match press conference that again he ‘knows what happens in the past’.
Pep Guardiola said: “I didn’t see it. I saw my players but didn’t see the image. It was already checked,” he said. We didn’t talk about the referee decision [at full time]. We know what goes on the past the present and the future. It happened, the referee decide no. It’s no.”
Guardiola instead insisted that City played well in Leipzig, despite their second-half drop-off, and said he always knew the tie would be decided in the second leg.
Pep Gaurdiola said “We spoke at half-time. I said forget about it, this is not what happens in the second half. The manager will not accept, the fans make a step forward. The intensity, we were not precise like the first half. It’s normal, I was here three years the biggest quality of this country is never give up. Always they have the minutes. They had it. We concede a goal. In general I’m really pleased. We don’t have a team who can compete with a lot of transitions. They are better than us, they are faster, quicker, except Kyle and Erling. The rest, the pace we don’t have it. We need the control in first-half. We had chances from nothing, our set pieces were close to scoring two or three goals. We have a game in Manchester, the team who wins will go through. My expectations are not high. I didn’t think to come and win 0-4, Not for one second. The game we have to play, it’s two legs, 180 minutes. I don’t want to lose 4-3, 4-0 here. We have to be open in Manchester, it is what it is. This is going to happen.”
