Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has pointed to Real Madrid’s early goal as key to their 3-1 win over his team in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Los Blancos came into the second leg of the playoff with a slender 3-2 advantage.
Within five minutes at the Bernabeu, Kylian Mbappe opened scoring, lifting the ball over Ederson.
Mbappe went on to complete sensational hat-trick, before Nico Gonzalez pulled one back for City.
Madrid advanced into the last 16 with a 6-3 aggregate.
Guardiola, speaking to TNT Sports, said: “After we conceded the goal in the first action we didn’t defend well, it was more and more difficult.
“We have to accept it, the best team won so congratulations to Real Madrid. Now we focus on the Premier League.
“It’s a fantastic team, they deserve to go through. We didn’t deserve it, it’s the first year we didn’t make a good Champions League season. We have to accept it and fight for next season to be here again.
“Of course Real Madrid are contenders to win the Champions League now, but there are other good teams around.”