Pep Guardiola delivers brutally honest Man City verdict after PSG defeat – 'I don't deserve it'

Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City were second in their Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night. The 2022/23 European champions lost 2-0 as they lost 4-2 at the Parc des Princes.

The result leaves City one place outside the play-off places with one group game remaining.

Guardiola's side face Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium in their final encounter next Wednesday, with victory guaranteeing the English side a place in the top 24.

“In the first half they had moments, they had one or two in terms of chances. But they were better,” Guardiola told TNT Sports after the defeat in Paris.

“We couldn't control their first goal. At that point they were a little knocked out and at that point they lifted [themselves].

“But they were better. They were faster and faster, they won their duels with the ball. We couldn't cope with it, they are fast. We accept defeat because the better team won. We have our last chance at home against Brugge and if we win I hope we can qualify.

City took the lead five minutes after the break as half-time substitute Jack Grealish sent the ball into the net following good work from Manuel Akanji.

And the away side doubled their advantage moments later when Erling Haaland swept the ball in at the far post.

But City were unable to protect their lead and immediately allowed the host back into the game as Ousmane Dembele pounced after finding space in the box.

Bradley Barcola leveled the score an hour into the match after the ball came back off the crossbar, with Joao Neves pushing the hosts level with 12 minutes remaining. And Goncalo Ramos ensured PSG's victory with a fourth goal in stoppage time at the end of the match.

“The match was never the way we wanted it to be, but that's why I give PSG a lot of credit,” Guardiola added. “It’s an extraordinary team. But at 2-0, if we could do it… but they scored right after. Then if we could have kept the ball a little bit and stayed like that it would have been better, but we couldn't do it.

“To defend the result you have to keep the ball and we didn't do that. They had more, they attacked better and that's why it was difficult.

And raising the prospect of City exiting the Champions League at the group stage, the Spaniard explained: “It could happen. If we don't win [against Club Brugge]we don't deserve it.

“Sporting are tough, PSG are tough, Juventus are tough, all the away games we’ve had have been tough. This is reality. We didn't get enough points. The last match against Brugge will dictate what we have to do.