PEP GUARDIOLA admitted “anything can happen” when Manchester City and Monaco meet again in three weeks time.
Europe’s two most attack-minded teams turned on a Champions League thriller at the Etihad to leave Pep Guardiola not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Manchester City came back from 3-2 down to win 5-3 and take a two-goal lead into the second leg of the last 16 tie.
But Guardiola knows it is far from finished after Monaco underlined his pre-match description that they were the goal kings of Europe.
And even though City can afford a 1-0 or 2-0 defeat in the away leg and still to go through to the quarter-finals he insists they will have to go for goals again – because on this evidence they haven’t got a hope of keeping Monaco at bay.
“Of course anything can happen in Monaco and we have to score goals over there,” he said.
“The result is ok. It could be better, could be worse, but it is what it is. We think in attack. Attack, attack, attack. Monaco have scored over 100 goals this season and attack with a lot of people. They are physically strong and are a top, top team. That’s why they’re top of the league. That’s why we take a lot of credit with this result.
“A lot of things happened but in the moment we were lucky. We were stable mentally. The old and young guys in the team played amazing. To live this experience helps us a lot in the future. Monaco has more history than us in the competition and you need this kind of experience to learn and improve. “
The game had just about everything. Goals, mistakes, controversy and thrilling football.
Late goals from John Stones and Leroy Sane gave City a two-goal advantage but the cannot go into the second leg with too much confidence after the way they were ripped open by Leonardo Jardim’s pacy team.
Radamel Falcao and Sergio Aguero both hit doubles while French wonderboy Kylian Mbappe and Raheem Sterling also got on the score sheet.
Falcao also had a penalty saved while Aguero should have been awarded a penalty when tripped by Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic in the first half as both teams threw caution to the wind.
City were 1-0 up, 2-1 down, drew level at 2-2, fell behind again before Aguero’s second equaliser.
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