Pep Guardiola praises Rodri’s comeback as Manchester City overwhelms Juventus.

In a candid assessment following Manchester City’s recent performance, Pep Guardiola expressed his belief that there are still many areas for improvement within his squad. The City manager praised Rodri, calling him “the best player in the world” as the midfielder made his first start since returning from injury.

Rodri played 66 minutes in a match that marked one of City’s most impressive displays in recent months. Guardiola reflected on the impact of the Spaniard’s absence, stating, “We missed him a lot right? I had a feeling last season we had an incredible team but we had a lot of problems. Injuries, injuries, and injuries. After that we missed a lot. Which team wants to lose the best player in the world?”

The manager highlighted Rodri’s composure and understanding of the game, noting, “His composure, he knows exactly what he has to do with the ball. I didn’t expect for him to play as many minutes. We’ll be ready for the next one.”

As City awaits to learn their opponents in the next round of the competition, Group H remains competitive, with Real Madrid and RB Salzburg both on four points, set to face off in their final match. Al Hilal could also potentially sneak into second place depending on their result against Pachuca.

Guardiola continued to reflect on the team’s performance, stating, “It’s a long, long time ago we made a performance like we’ve done today. With or without the ball. The players were committed. We talked about what we had to improve to be who we were in the past.”

He emphasized the importance of the players rediscovering their identity, saying, “It’s just one game. But I think today more than anything else, the players felt again what we have to do to be a good team. No more secrets, no words, no images. They played, they knew it.”

The match also saw Erling Haaland reach a remarkable milestone, scoring his 300th career goal in just 370 games. This achievement places him ahead of footballing greats like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe in terms of speed to reach the landmark.

Guardiola, who substituted Haaland into the game at the start of the second half, reiterated the importance of competition within his squad. “Yeah absolutely fine,” he said regarding Haaland and Phil Foden’s roles as substitutes. “Rayan Cherki as well played really good. They have to compete. Everybody knows they have competition for themselves to play.”

He concluded with a clear message about the standards expected at the club: “If they don’t play good, another one is going to play. If they don’t do what they have to for the club, they’re not going to play.”