Manchester City manager Joseph "Pep" Guardiola did not blame his player Bernardo Silva for the red card he received during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
In the 20th minute of the match, Bernardo Silva was shown a straight red card after being found guilty of stopping a Vinicius Junior shot with his hand in the penalty area. The referee then immediately sent the Portuguese international off the pitch and awarded Real Madrid a penalty.
"Come on, it wasn't a mistake. It was Bernardo Silva's first red card," Pep Guardiola was quoted as saying on the club's official website on Wednesday.
"Bernardo's actions were a natural reflex. It's not something that can be avoided," added the former Barcelona coach.
The Spanish coach did not want to find a scapegoat for Manchester City's failure, which was beaten 1-5 by Real Madrid on aggregate.
