Pep Guardiola and Jeremy Doku send message of support to Bernardo Silva after Real Madrid red card | OneFootball

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has been fiercely defended by Pep Guardiola and Jeremy Doku following his game-changing red card during Tuesday’s 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid, exiting the Champions League early for the third consecutive season.

The dismissal proved to be a definitive turning point in a high-stakes last-16 second leg at the Etihad. Attempting to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit, City started with attacking impetus before Silva was judged to have handled a Vinícius Júnior goal-bound effort on the line.

Following a lengthy VAR review and an on-field monitor check by French referee Clément Turpin, the Portuguese international was shown a straight red card, and a penalty was awarded.

Unlike his miss at the Bernabéu last week, Vinícius Júnior made no mistake from the spot, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way to effectively end the contest.

Despite playing with 10-men for the majority of the match, Manchester City showed incredible spirit with Erling Haaland eventually poking home an equaliser on the stroke of half-time to offer a glimmer of hope.

However, a late injury-time second from Vinícius Júnior sealed a 1-2 win on the night (1-5 on aggregate) for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.

“Instinct, Not a Mistake”: Guardiola Refuses to Blame Captain Silva

Speaking to reporters after the contest at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola said of Bernardo Silva’s red card dismissal, “Ah come on, it’s not a mistake, it’s an instinct action. Come on, it’s not a decision like it can be avoidable.

“Of course, now you would say, ‘OK score a goal and play 11 against 11, 0-4 down, 75 minutes – we’ll see what happens’. It would have been more difficult, I know.

“But come on, never ever would I blame my player for that decision, less Bernardo for what he has done for us for many, many years.”

Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku, who was one of the standout performers on a disappointing night for the club, said of the incident, “He’s our captain, I think he’s most disappointed of all of us. But it’s not his fault, he tried to defend.”

Looking back on the match itself, Doku admitted, “I feel we had a lot of chances, played well, especially 10 against 11. I feel we did well. Obviously we’re disappointed.

“It’s the hard reality, but when you experience the game, it doesn’t feel like they were much better than us. This campaign will teach us a lot for future ones. We will be back.”

Can City Recover from a Third Straight Madrid Exit?

The exit marks a period of profound reflection for the Premier League giants, who must now process the end of their European journey alongside a daunting nine-point gap to Arsenal in the domestic title race.

With Thibaut Courtois producing a string of impressive saves to deny the likes of Rodri and Rayan Cherki, Manchester City’s inability to convert dominant spells into goals has become the defining theme of their March slump.

As the squad heads into the international break, the focus shifts to the future of several key figures. With Bernardo Silva facing a suspension for the start of next season’s European campaign and persistent rumours surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future beyond this season, the post-Madrid autopsy will likely dictate the club’s recruitment strategy for the summer.