Guardiola and Haaland Reflect on Bellingham During City’s Celebration: “If He Hadn’t…”

While Manchester City celebrated their Premier League victory this weekend, the atmosphere in the locker room wasn’t entirely joyful. The sting of being out of the Champions League, which they won last season, still lingers for the English side.

Real Madrid, having already secured the La Liga title, will wrap up their domestic season next Saturday before heading to London to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on June 1 at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

This European campaign has been a tough journey for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. After narrowly defeating RB Leipzig, Madrid faced Manchester City in the quarter-finals, a thrilling encounter.

Following a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid traveled to Manchester. At the Etihad Stadium, contrary to predictions, Madrid took the lead with an impeccable first half. A brilliant control by Jude Bellingham set up Rodrygo’s goal, stunning the English crowd.

That moment still resonates with City, to the extent that Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland frequently recall Bellingham’s play. “If he hadn’t made that control in the build-up to their first goal… we might be thinking about the Champions League final now,” they reminisced in the City locker room.

Manchester City clinched the Premier League title this Sunday after defeating West Ham 3-1. The competition was decided on the final day, with Arsenal still in contention for the title. Although Arteta’s team won their match against Everton 2-1, they didn’t control their destiny. City finished with 91 points, while Arsenal ended with 89.