Manchester City (Man City) suffered a shocking defeat to Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia). Pep Guardiola, the manager of Man City, praised the opposing goalkeeper's save and expressed his disappointment over the elimination.
On the 1st (Korean time), Man City lost 3-4 to Al Hilal in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Man City, considered a title contender, was struck by the 'dark horse' Al Hilal after a close match that went into extra time. The defending champions of 2023, Man City, showed a surprising lack of decisiveness by conceding four goals in a single match for the first time in this tournament.
According to the official website of Man City, Guardiola noted after the match, "Every game on this stage is difficult. We allowed the opponent to have counter-attack opportunities, but we also created many chances and, overall, it was okay."
He continued, "It's disappointing. The atmosphere was really good. I'm really thankful to the coaching staff. They poured everything into it," adding, "We created a lot of movements, and Al Hilal's Yassine Bounou made incredible saves. I have no more to say."
The opposing goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, saved a total of 10 shots from the Man City attack in this match. Although he conceded three goals, he maintained focus for 120 minutes and showed decisive performances multiple times.
Guardiola emphasized, "There is definitely a feeling that the team is doing well. But now we need to go back to our country, rest, and refresh our minds to prepare for next season."
He gave a positive assessment of the four matches played in this tournament, saying, "I saw many good things here that I had not seen before, especially in aspects like the relationship between the players and the coaching staff and the team atmosphere."
He also explained, "We were happy here, and the training sessions were really good. However, the level of this tournament is very high. We created a lot of chances, but the opponent defended very deeply, and Bounou made a lot of saves. Ultimately, we need to score and be more efficient."
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