Riyad Mahrez has revealed Pep Guardiola told Manchester City's stars not to be too upset with the result after Wednesday's draw with RB Leipzig.
For the second time in a matter of days, City took the lead on in a scintillating first-half display only to then not take their chances and kill the game off before conceding a late equaliser. RB Leipzig posed a much tougher test in the second half than Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the last 16 tie but there remained an unshakable feeling that the Blues had thrown the game away.
Guardiola's side took a deserved lead in the opening 45 minutes after Mahrez latched on to Jack Grealish's through-ball and expertly dispatched it into the bottom corner. The German hosts came out firing after the break and turned the screw on City, eventually getting their equaliser through Josko Gvardiol's towering header.
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After the match, Guardiola went a bit Phil Brown as he gathered his players in a huddle and Mahrez has disclosed his manager's message.
“He just said ‘keep going guys, it’s okay, we were good, smile and go and see the fans together,'" he said.
“We played very good in the first half – we controlled the game. In the second half they were better. We didn’t control the ball like we did in the first half. It happens. Sometimes we concede chances, and they’ll score – when your opponent is very good you have to be ready.
"We had good chances to kill the game. In the end 1-1 is not a bad result – they have to come to Manchester, and we will see in three weeks.”
Guardiola also explained his message after the game: "They were heads down. I said why are you heads down, be heads up, it was really good the way you play. If people don't like it it doesn't matter."
Mahrez also explained his great goal. He added: “Jack [Grealish] is running inside, and I’m making a run. He plays me with a good pass and I think I’m alone.
"I see the defender in front of me, so I left the ball – I don’t know if he touched it or not – and it came in front of me, and I was one v one with the goalkeeper and I reversed. I think I surprised him thinking I was going to take a touch or something.”
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