MADRID, Dec 10 : Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised his players’ resilience and determination after they fought back to secure a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in their Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Despite a lacklustre opening 30 minutes in which City looked vulnerable to Real Madrid’s relentless forward play, Nico O'Reilly’s equaliser and Erling Haaland’s penalty overturned Rodrygo’s early opener to hand the visitors three vital points in group-stage action.

Guardiola admitted his side had been second best in the opening phases of the game but lauded the character that allowed them to recover from a sluggish start.

“We’ve been here several times and played much, much better than today and didn’t win,” Guardiola said of City’s previous visit

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