Guardiola: ´Everything is a little bit against´ Man City after shock Champions League loss

Pep Guardiola believes “everything is a little bit against” Manchester City at the moment, following their surprise 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

City endured a dismal trip north of the Arctic Circle, as they were undone by two goals from Kasper Hogh and another from Jens Peter Hauge, before Rodri picked up two yellow cards in the space of 53 seconds.

It was the Spaniard’s first red card in the Champions League, while the time between his two bookings is the fewest for a sending-off for an English club in the competition since Wayne Rooney for Manchester United in September 2005 (four seconds vs Villarreal).

Bodo, who earned their first-ever Champions League victory (D3 L3), are only the sixth side ever to take a three-goal lead in a match over City in the competition, and the first since Real Madrid in February 2025.

But Guardiola, who has only seen his team win once in all competitions in 2026 so far, felt that this game followed a similar pattern to their recent struggles.

“It’s a little bit soft the second one [Rodri’s bookings], but it is what it is,” Guardiola said.

“In the moment, 3-1, and after one minute [you get a red card], everything is a little bit against [us], for many many things, especially when we started New Year’s in Sunderland, when we missed what we missed, and after we had injuries and injuries, and Matheus [Nunes] with flu cannot be here.

“So, there are many, many things are against [us] and in that level, the Champions League and against [Manchester] United, the top level, always, it is a little more difficult to have the consistency that we had for one or two months.”

City remain in the top eight, ahead of the rest of the week’s fixtures, but now face an uphill battle to hold onto their automatic qualification spot, with Galatasaray their final league-phase game.

They mustered 16 shots against Bodo, double the tally of their hosts, worth 1.2 expected goals (xG), with five of those hitting the target.

However, they gave up five big chances, with Bodo also having goals chalked off and hitting the post.

Guardiola, though, disagreed when it was posed to him that his team put in a flat performance at Aspmyra Stadion.

“I don’t agree,” Guardiola said.

“We didn’t have Jeremy [Doku] or Savinho or proper wingers, and in other departments we had many important players that aren’t here and give us more consistency than we have, but I didn’t have the feeling that the team was not there.

“They are well organised, they force you to go outside, and we don’t have players to go one against one and make moments behind. In general, they are really good, so congratulate them.”