3 of Pep Guardiola’s Worst Defeats as a Manager

Manchester City’s recent Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid was a humbling experience. A 6-3 aggregate loss in the playoff round not only ended their European hopes but also exposed deep flaws in a team that has dominated English football in recent years. Lethargic, uninspired, and clearly on the decline, City looked nothing like the side that has set record-breaking standards under Pep Guardiola.

While this was certainly one of the worst nights for Guardiola, it was not the only time his teams have suffered heavy or shocking defeats. Across his illustrious managerial career, Pep has had a handful of nights where his tactics were outclassed, his teams looked lost, and his legacy took a hit. Here are three of his most painful losses. 

1) Bayern Munich 0-4 Real Madrid (2014 Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg) 

When Guardiola took charge of Bayern Munich in 2013, expectations were sky-high. He inherited a team that had just won the treble under Jupp Heynckes and was expected to take them to even greater heights. However, in the 2013-14 season, his Bayern side was given a brutal reality check by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. 

Having lost the first leg 1-0 in Madrid, Bayern were still very much in the tie heading into the second leg at the Allianz Arena. Guardiola, however, made a fatal error by abandoning his usual possession-based approach and opting for a more direct, attacking setup. Real Madrid made him pay dearly. 

Sergio Ramos stunned the home crowd with two quickfire headers in the first 20 minutes, effectively killing the tie before Bayern could even settle. Bayern's defensive structure was all over the place, and their high line was ruthlessly exploited. If that wasn’t bad enough, Cristiano Ronaldo added insult to injury with two goals of his own—one a classic counter-attacking finish and the other a low free-kick under the wall to cap off a humiliating 4-0 defeat. 

Bayern had been dismantled at home in a way rarely seen before. Guardiola later admitted he had overthought his tactics, a criticism that has followed him throughout his career in the Champions League. Madrid, meanwhile, marched on to La Décima, while Bayern were left wondering how their season had unraveled so quickly. 

2) Manchester City 1-3 Lyon (2020 Champions League Quarter-Final) 

Perhaps the most baffling defeat of Guardiola’s career came in the 2019-20 Champions League quarter-finals against Lyon. City were overwhelming favorites against a Lyon side that had finished seventh in Ligue 1, yet they were completely outplayed in a shocking 3-1 defeat. Guardiola overcomplicated things once again. Instead of playing his usual attacking 4-3-3, he set up City in an uncharacteristic three-at-the-back formation, seemingly trying to match Lyon’s setup. This bizarre tactical tweak left City looking disjointed and lacking their usual fluency in possession. 

Lyon took full advantage. Maxwel Cornet opened the scoring in the first half with a well-taken finish after a defensive mix-up from City. Kevin De Bruyne equalized in the second half, and for a brief moment, it looked like City would take control. But defensive lapses cost them dearly, as Moussa Dembélé scored twice late on to seal Lyon’s famous victory. 

The defeat was particularly embarrassing because Lyon had only won 11 of their 28 league games that season before the competition was halted due to COVID-19. Yet, they had tactically outmaneuvered Guardiola’s City, once again highlighting his struggles in key European moments. 

3) Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City (2018 Champions League Quarterfinal, First Leg) 

Guardiola’s Manchester City were playing some of the best football in Europe during the 2017-18 season, breaking records on their way to winning the Premier League with 100 points. However, their Champions League quarterfinal against Liverpool exposed some major vulnerabilities. 

At Anfield, City were completely overwhelmed by Liverpool’s high-intensity pressing and lethal counterattacks. The game was effectively over within 31 minutes. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 12th minute, finishing off a rapid counterattack. Just eight minutes later, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain smashed in a long-range effort past Ederson. The Reds weren’t done yet, and in the 31st minute, Sadio Mané headed in a cross from Salah to make it 3-0. 

Guardiola was left stunned on the touchline. His team barely had a shot on target, and their normally fluid passing game was completely nullified by Liverpool’s pressing. To make matters worse, City had a legitimate goal ruled out for offside in the second leg, which only fueled Guardiola’s frustration as his side crashed out 5-1 on aggregate. This defeat was a turning point in City’s European ambitions. They had been exposed on the big stage, and it took them years to develop the defensive solidity needed to challenge at the highest level. 

Also Read: Was Manchester City's Humbling Experience at Santiago Bernabeu the Lowest a Pep Guardiola Coached Side Has Slumped?