Pep Guardiola has insisted his Manchester City players played 'really well' against Juventus despite losing again.
City slumped to their seventh defeat in ten games on Wednesday evening as they left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread as they lost 2-0 in Turin.
The Premier League champions now sit 22nd in the Champions League, with the top 24 advancing to the next round and just two games remaining.
One of those games for City, however, is against rivals Paris Saint-Germain, who themselves need points to qualify – and the match is away from home.
So it could depend on how they do in their last league match at the end of January, at home against Belgian side Club Brugge.
Still, despite their dismal form, Guardiola was pleased with his side's efforts and praised their performance in Italy following their latest defeat.
“We played very, very well,” Guardiola told TNT Sports. “We missed the last action, there is a transition happening, but I am so proud of these players.
'They gave everything and we tried. In Europe it is difficult. We played very well.'
Former City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who captained the team before leaving for Barcelona just over a year ago – and returning in the summer – opened up in an interview and suggested a number of things his side need to improve to get out of the problems to come. rut.
However, when put to that question, Guardiola disagreed, insisting that Wednesday's match was different to the previous nine games of their arid run.
“We did very well today,” he claimed. 'We didn't lose as much ball as in the past, we got into positions, but against Italian defensive teams it's not easy, they are masters of this situation.
'We have two games, we need maybe one point, one win, the last one is at home. We played well in the matches against Inter and Feyenoord, but Sporting and Turin and Paris are very tough and you have to accept that.
“If we turn it around, we won't forget that period and we will appreciate it more.”
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