Guardiola Flops Again As Ancelotti Makes Champions League History

• It’s record-equalling despair for Man City boss

In quite a contrasting manner, Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, and Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, made UEFA Champions League history in Wednesday’s night thrilling Champions League semi-final decider at Santiago Bernabeu.

However, it is the City boss that will definitely not be amused at his new place in the record books as both coaches experienced a remarkable reversal of fortunes in the final minutes as Real sneaked past the English side to another continental club final, victory

Until about the 90th minute, the Citizens had looked destined for the final going into injury time against Real Madrid as they led 5-3 on aggregate after Riyad Mahrez had widened their first-leg advantage in the Bernabeu.

But Ancelotti and Madrid had other ideas, netting twice at the death through Rodrygo before this season’s hero Karim Benzema decided the tension-soaked encounter in extra time from the penalty spot.

Ancelotti Sets New Competition Best
On Saturday, the Italian broke new ground in European football, winning La Liga with Madrid to complete the first-ever coaching clean sweep of the continent’s top five leagues.

Ancelotti also thrives in the Champions League, where he enjoys an almost unprecedented level of success and Wednesday’s victory sealed his fifth appearance in the competition’s final, having taken AC Milan to that stage in 2003, 2005, and 2007 before leading Madrid to the decider in his first spell at the Bernabeu back in 2014.

No other coach has managed that number in the competition, but their opponents in the final, Liverpool might take some heart from the fact that in the 2005 showpiece, they inflicted Ancelotti’s only final defeat to date from his previous four visits.

After the game, Ancelotti told BT Sport; “I cannot say we are used to living this kind of life, but what happened tonight, happened against Chelsea and also against PSG. If you have to say why it is the history of this club that helps us to keep going when it seems that we are gone.

“The game was close to the finish and we managed to find the last energy we had. We played a good game against a strong rival. When we are able to equalise, we had a psychological advantage in the extra time.

“I have no time to think about this [losing the game]. It was difficult as City had control of the game but at the last opportunity, we were able to go into extra time.

“I am happy to be there in the final, in Paris against another great rival. We are used to it. It will be a fantastic game for football.”

Champions League Woes Continue For Guardiola
meanwhile, Guardiola, despite being a two-time Champions League winner as a coach, has endured nothing but disappointment in the competition in recent years.

This marks his sixth semi-final elimination, a record he now shares with Jose Mourinho and not one he will wish to crow about. – With Goal.com reports