Pep Guardiola surpasses Sir Alex Ferguson as City exit Champions League

Pep Guardiola has officially surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson after his 191st match in the Champions League, but the milestone was heavily overshadowed by Manchester City's exit following a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the round of 16. City's campaign ended in disaster after a 3-0 first-leg loss in Spain, where Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick.

The second leg followed a similar script: Bernardo Silva was sent off for blocking a Vinicius Junior shot, conceding a 22nd-minute penalty that Vinicius converted. Erling Haaland pulled one back with a 41st-minute strike, but Vinicius sealed a 2-1 win with a late stoppage-time goal to make it 5-1 on aggregate.

Madrid will now face either Bayern Munich or Atalanta, with Bayern holding a 6-1 lead from their first leg. Despite the exit, the match confirmed Guardiola had moved past Ferguson’s total of 190 games, which he had equalled in the first leg. His longevity reflects sustained success across spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

Spain

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