The City manager couldn't hide his disappointment after his tactical gamble backfired, with substitute Fernandinho's vulnerability exposed by visiting forward Vinicius.
New video has emerged showing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's unseen reaction to Real Madrid's second goal in Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final first leg.
Vinicius Junior skipped over City's temporary right-back Fernandinho on the halfway line before charging through on goal and slamming home the visitors' second goal of the night. It was a memorable moment in a thrilling seven-goal thriller, and it came at a crucial point in the tie.
Just moments before, Fernandinho – who is out of contract at the end of the season – provided a perfectly weighted delivery from the right channel for Phil Foden to head home City's third goal of the night.
There was much speculation about who Guardiola would play at right-back in the absence of Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo. John Stones started the game in that position, but an injury forced him off in the first half, and he was replaced by Fernandinho. It ensured that the player, who is naturally a holding midfielder, would have to keep hold of his compatriot Vinicius - one of the world's most explosive attacking players.
Vinicius' acceleration exposed Fernandinho's lack of pace, bringing the score back to 3-2 just minutes after the substitution displayed an unexpected moment of attacking brilliance. Walker's recovery rate is critical for City because it allows them to play a high defensive line, which is a weakness for the stand-in Brazilian.
Guardiola took a risk by playing Fernandinho in the position, despite the fact that City were short on players. Fernandinho announced his departure from the Etihad earlier this month, which City manager Pep Guardiola claimed he was unaware of. "I had no idea," the manager admitted. "You broke the news to me. We'll have to wait and see what happens at the end of the season. I've said it before and will say it again: "We'll see what happens."
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