Real Madrid vs Manchester City was no less than a dramatic movie. Moments ago, the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal ended with both sides setting for a draw in a remarkable six-goal thriller. However, Phil Foden somehow took the spotlight after Pep Guardiola substituted him. While it raised concerns regarding his injury, the City boss stepped up to clear the air, asserting that it was just a ‘knock.’

Speaking in the post-match presser and as complied by Football on TNT Sports, Guardiola said, “It was a knock. He was grumpy with me because I made a substitution but he made another fantastic goal.” It looks like there doesn’t seem to be much cause for concern regarding Foden’s injury, as it appears to be a light knock. Notably, it was the 85th minute that saw the City midfielder ring injury bells. Foden went down, holding his ankle, and signaled for help from the team’s medic. 

Despite receiving treatment and returning to the pitch, the 23-year-old struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, moving cautiously. This prompted Guardiola to quickly substitute him, bringing on Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez. It must have been a tough decision for the former Barcelona coach to remove the English international, especially in the final moments of the game. However, risking further injury by keeping him on would have been unwise.

Even though Guardiola’s words may alleviate concerns about Foden’s injury, City won’t be taking any chances, and further tests will provide clarity. It’s evident that the substitution was made purely as a precautionary measure. Another safe game that Pep played was concerning Kevin De Bruyne. Speaking of which, what was the Belgian’s excuse to miss the match? 

Aside from Phil Foden, Pep Guardiola gave an update about Kevin De Bruyne

The unexpected happened before the Leg 1 clash, as Kevin De Bruyne was seen on the bench instead of being in the starting XI. However, the 32-year-old was sick and was not well enough to play in the game. In fact, aside from acknowledging that De Bruyne had vomited before the match, Guardiola revealed, “I don’t know, we make a meeting and he was ready, when we arrive in the locker room starts to vomit and say he’s not ready.” Either way, even in his absence, the defending champions of Europe did quite well. 

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Bernardo Silva opened the account for the Sky Blues in just 90 seconds. However, the City’s celebrations were halted quickly as under 15 minutes, Real Madrid doubled their lead, thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Ruben Dias and a brilliant strike from Rodrygo. Interestingly, Foden responded with a top-corner finish with Josko Gvardiol almost finding a winner. Yet, Madrid wasn’t in the mood to lose as Federico Valverde found the late equalizer. Certainly, City will look to end the return leg in their favor. Till then, they shall focus on the team’s recuperation from this tiring match. 

Pep Guardiola Provides Concerning Kevin De Bruyne Health Update After Benching Him vs Real Madrid