Manchester City collapsed once again and suffered a late 3-2 loss at home to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League play-off clash to reach the last 16
Gutted Manchester City defender John Stones has revealed that Pep Guardiola told his players to ‘take accountability’ after yet another collapse.
City went into the last five minutes of normal time in Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg boasting a 2-1 lead on home soil which would’ve given a slender lead ahead of going to Madrid next week. But late goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham turned the tie on its head and now the holders have the crucial advantage.
It’s not the first time City have conceded late goals this season, having thrown away the lead against Sporting Lisbon, Brighton, Feyenoord, Manchester United, Brentford and Paris Saint-Germain previously. Stones, 30, has only been part of a select few of those results, having endured an injury-hit season, but he’s still felt the pain.
“I don’t know how to put it into words straight away, it’s so raw and frustrating for everyone,” Stones admitted to Prime Video Sport post-match. “We were in the game until so late and then it’s two situations that happen and we concede. It’s frustrating as a defender to come away with that result.
“It’s a feeling of anger and frustration. We need to see games out better that’s for sure. The manager just said to us we need to take accountability for what we do on the pitch, I think we do that. We need to step up when these bad moments happen.
“Today we had a great opportunity to go to the Bernabeu with a 2-1 lead. It’s not done. We have to stay positive, which is difficult now. As the manager says, we need to look at ourselves and take accountability.
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“We were right on top at the start of the game and we know Real have quality to come out in the second half. It is avoidable from us as the eleven on the pitch. We have to do better – it’s as simple as that. We have to keep a positive mentality and try to put it right.”
City will be back in action on Saturday, hosting Newcastle in the Premier League.
The second leg against Real takes place next Wednesday, with Guardiola’s men plotting revenge on the hosts, who are likely to still be without a number of key players through injury, as they were at the Etihad.
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