Pep Guardiola wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance as Manchester City suffered a 4-3 loss to Al Hilal in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup held at Camping World Stadium.
The City coach openly criticized how his players handled the match, especially during Al Hilal’s counter-attacks.

He pointed out that Al Hilal’s players are fast and took full advantage of the spaces left open by City’s defence.
Guardiola said his team allowed too much room for Al Hilal to move, which cost them dearly during the transitions.

The match had an exciting flow, with goals from both sides. Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland scored for City, while Marcos Leonardo and Malcom found the net for Al Hilal, making it 2-2 at full time.
The game was tightly contested during normal time with both teams scoring twice.

In extra time, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marcos Leonardo scored again for the Saudi side. Although Phil Foden managed to get another goal for Manchester City, it wasn’t enough to save them.
City couldn’t catch up in extra time as Al Hilal secured the win with two crucial goals.

After the match, Guardiola told reporters: “We were too open. When crosses came in, they managed to pass quickly and attack. Their players are very fast.”
He highlighted how the lack of tight defence made it easier for Al Hilal to break through.

He also said, “We created many chances against a team that defended deeply, but they hurt us during counter-attacks.”
Guardiola admitted his team had several scoring opportunities but couldn’t handle Al Hilal’s quick transitions effectively.