Guardiola expresses statement about Spanish referees following Champions League draw
Pep Guardiola declared he has "no words" to referees from Spain after his team let slip two points against Monaco because of a late spot-kick taken by the English defender.
The match official was instructed to review the situation by the VAR before pointing to the spot when he determined that the opponent's raised foot versus the player warranted a foul call.
Haaland nets twice but Manchester City denied by Monaco
City's star striker struck on two occasions for Manchester City, but the advantage was canceled out first by the defender and then by the penalty-taker's last-gasp foul shot.
In spite of a superior display from the English club, they finally fell short in the final moments of the encounter.
Guardiola declines to comment on refereeing call
City's boss chose not to talk about the particular penalty decision after the match, instead alluding to officials from his native country in vague terms.
Guardiola has before had a difficult connection with his compatriot Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who in the past gave three fouls against Guardiola's team in as many Champions League matches.
Guardiola comments on team performance
The team performed a excellent match,” he remarked. “In football you have to secure the victory. When examining the game there were numerous elements that were positive. Step by step we will be better but we had many chances and Phil Foden in the initial 45 minutes and many players performed well.”
The coach went on: “Monaco protected extremely deep and narrow, that is very unlike to the way Monaco play in domestic competition, but we played really good. During close matches, you have to be solid and we settle for the result.”
Erling on result and refereeing decision
Haaland netted two goals, but it was only good enough for a tie, as he boosted his European record to a startling 52 strikes in 50 appearances.
“It's not sufficient,” Haaland stated of the collective effort. “It's essential to aim for victory the upcoming fixture. It is the only thing.”
Haaland remarked: “We need greater intensity. We had to press them harder like in the opening period, they went ahead in the second half and in my opinion it’s good enough.”
About the penalty award, the player commented: “I missed the incident – but if there's contact someone in the upper body, it’s probably a penalty.”
