Guardiola fails to reach Champions League quarter-finals for the 1st time ever after losing to Monaco

Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City have been bundled out of the UEFA Champions League on away goals by AS Monaco following a 3-1 win in one of the final Round of 16 matches played on Wednesday night.

City went into the match at the Stade Louis II needing to at least avoid losing by a two-goal margin.

But first half goals from young forward Kylian Mbappe as well as Fabinho set the French side on their way to the quarter-final stage.

Guardiola is not used to an early exit in Europe.

Man. City recovered from a poor first half and began to threaten Monaco in the second half, with Sergio Aguero missing two good chances in as many minutes around the hour mark.

Bakayoko celebrating the goal.

Eventually, Leroy Sane got what looked like a crucial away goal for City in the 71st minute, one that would have been enough to send Guardiola’s team through.

But Monaco had the last say on the night when Tiemoue Bakayoko headed in the winner after 77 minutes to make aggregate scores 6-6.

Monaco’s three away goals in the first leg – two of which were scored by Falcao who missed tonight’s game – proved most useful for the French league leaders as they qualified on away goals.

The result, coming in Guardiola’s 100th match in European competition, sees the City manager fail to reach the Champions League quarter-final stage for the first time in his managerial career.

City reached the semis last season but crash out of Europe much earlier this time.

City’s exit also leaves Leicester City as the only English club left in this season’s Champions League.

Monaco on their part is the last French club standing in Europe’s premiere club competition.

But he’s now left with guiding the club to as high a league finish as possible and returning to the UCL next season.

Meanwhile, Monaco is joined in the last eight by Atletico Madrid that secured their place with a 4-2 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen after both sides played out goalless draw in the second leg in Madrid.

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