Pep Guardiola insists Man City played ‘really good’ against Juventus and says he’s ‘so proud of these players’, despite his side slipping to a seventh defeat in 10 matches - sportsnewsfoot

Pep Guardiola has insisted that his Manchester City players played ‘really good’ against Juventus despite losing again.

City slipped to their seventh defeat in 10 matches on Wednesday night as they left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread as they lost 2-0 in Turin.

The Premier League champions are now down in 22nd in the Champions League table, with the top 24 going through to the next round and just two matches remaining.

One of those games for City, however, are against fellow strugglers Paris Saint-Germain, who themselves are in need of points to qualify – and the match is away from home.

Things could, therefore, depend on how they get on in their final league game at the end of January, which will be at home to Belgian side Club Brugge.

Still, despite their dismal form, Guardiola was pleased with his side’s efforts and lauded their performance in Italy in what was their latest loss.

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City played ‘really, really good’ against Juventus

City fell to their seventh defeat of their last 10 games as they lost 2-0 in Turin on Wednesday 

Guardiola has insisted that his side’s performance was good in a number of different areas

‘We played really, really good,’ Guardiola told TNT Sports. ‘We missed the last action, some transition happens, but I am so proud of these players.

‘They gave everything and we tried. It is difficult in Europe. We played really good.’

Former City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who was the team’s skipper before leaving for Barcelona a little over a year ago – and returning in the summer – was open in an interview and suggested a number of things that his side need to improve on to get out their rut.

When that was put to Guardiola, though, he disagreed, and insisted that Wednesday’s game was different to the previous nine games of their barren run. 

‘We did it really well today,’ he claimed. ‘We didn’t lose many ball like in the past, we arrived in the positions, but against Italian defensive teams it is not easy, they are masters of this situation.

‘We have two games, we need one point maybe, one victory, the last one is at home. The games versus Inter and Feyenoord we played good, but Sporting and Turin and Paris is really tough and you have to accept it.

‘We will not forget that period when we turn it around and we will appreciate it more.’