Pep Guardiola makes Bernabeu dig after Man City draw v Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola criticised the pitch at the Bernabeu in the wake of Manchester City’s 3-3 draw against Real Madrid.

The last two Champions League winners played out another classic in the competition on Tuesday, the latest chapter of what is becoming a compelling rivalry. Both sides led at various stages on the night, but Federico Valverde’s late volley past Stefan Ortega ensured the tie remains level ahead of next week’s second leg at the Etihad.

While much of the post-match discussion centred around another enthralling encounter, City’s fightback, Madrid’s attacking threat and several sublime individual goals, one thing irked Guardiola at the new state-of-the art Bernabeu: the playing surface.

The iconic ground has undergone major upgrades in recent years, with a new retractable roof closed for the quarter-final first leg, something the City manager jokingly claimed he wasn’t a fan of.

“I really like to see the sky,” he told Movistar. “The stadium has been impressive, but now they only have to take care of the grass, they just have to improve this. Florentino [Perez] only has to worry about making a good field as always. 

“Don't let the president take this the wrong way, it is an impressive stadium, an incredible work,” he added. “I haven't stepped on the pitch today, my players have told me. But I don't know.

“People take it the wrong way, because I've played here many times and they always had a carpet. Now it's not like that, but the stadium is spectacular. The locker rooms, everything.”