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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Josh O'Brien

Pep Guardiola comments on Kevin de Bruyne row after angry Man City star told him to "shut up"

Pep Guardiola has shed light on a feisty exchange he had with Kevin De Bruyne during Manchester City's memorable 4-0 win over Real Madid at the Etihad.

City are now just one game away from Champions League glory after toppling the Spanish giants, running out 5-1 victors over the course of the two-legs in the semi-final. Guardiola's men are also on course to become the first team to win the treble since local rivals Manchester United back in 1999, with City just three wins away from achieving the historic feat.

A first-half brace from Bernardo Silva sent City on their way against Real Madrid, before a Manuel Akanji header and a late Julian Alvarez finish capped off a glorious win.

Though Carlo Ancelotti's side barely laid a glove on City throughout, their slight improvement after the interval was enough to keep Guardiola prowling anxiously around his technical area trying to instruct every move.

After De Bruyne lost the ball, the City boss was spotted losing his cool with the Belgian. Remarkably, television cameras spotted the playmaker's aggressive reply, as he was seen screaming back 'shut up, shut up', having surrendered possession.

Guardiola analysed the situation after the game, as he told Spanish broadcaster Movistar: "At 2-0 we rushed a lot.

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Pep Guardiola embraces Kevin De Bruyne (Getty)

"Right after the break [Ilkay] Gundogan lost a ball, Kevin made three transitions that weren’t necessary and we rushed a lot when we had to do the opposite, sink them and turn them, sink them and turn them.

"But it’s normal. It gets close, you rush, and it has cost us more, although in general we have had an extraordinary game."

Guardiola has spent the majority of this season playing down talk of a potential treble, but for the first time so far he admitted his City players can start to dream of landing all three of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

"We're there now and the players can think about it, visualise it," he explained. "We're three games away. One in each competition. We can do it."

City's immediate focus will now turn to wrapping up the Premier League, knowing that a win at home against Chelsea on Sunday will seal their fate as champions for the fifth time over the last six seasons.

They may not even have to beat the Blues, if title rivals Arsenal slip up once again and are defeated by Nottingham Forest at the City ground on Saturday evening their race will be run and City will have secured their place at the top again.

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