Pep Guardiola declined to comment on the controversial penalty decision that denied Manchester City victory in their Champions League clash with Monaco, which ended 2-2. The City boss, clearly frustrated, refused to be drawn into any debate over the incident, stating only, “No. I have nothing to say to the Spanish referees.”
The drama unfolded in the dying minutes of the match when former Tottenham defender Eric Dier stepped up to score from the penalty spot in the 90th minute, cancelling out City’s lead.
The penalty was awarded after Dier took a boot to the face from Nico González as both players stretched to meet a free-kick delivery. While television replays showed that González had reached the ball first, his follow-through caught Dier in the face. VAR official César Soto Grado advised referee Jesús Gil Manzano to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, after which the penalty was given.
The decision caused chaos on the pitch. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma attempted to delay the spot-kick by running to the bench to consult with his coaches, taking the match ball with him.
This sparked an angry reaction from Monaco players, who chased after him, leading to an ugly melee on the sidelines. In the heated scenes that followed, at least one Monaco coach was dismissed while City captain Bernardo Silva, playing against his former club, received a yellow card.
For Guardiola, however, the bigger source of frustration was not the refereeing decision, but his team’s failure to kill off the game despite having multiple chances.
Erling Haaland had twice given City the lead, marking his 50th Champions League appearance in style with a brace that brought his tally to 52 goals in the competition. Phil Foden came close to adding a third when his effort crashed against the crossbar in the first half, while Tijjani Reijnders was also denied by the woodwork after the break.
Guardiola praised aspects of his team’s performance but lamented the missed opportunities. “In football you have to win with the result,” he explained. “There were many things we did really well. Step by step we will be better, but we created a lot and couldn’t finish it. We conceded almost nothing, but when it’s close you must defend, and we take the point.”
There was also concern when Rodri, who had just returned after missing City’s previous league game with a knee issue, went down following a collision. Although he was substituted shortly after, Guardiola reassured that his condition was “perfect” and that the change had been purely tactical.
For Monaco, Dier’s late equaliser was a moment of redemption. Having only recently joined from Bayern Munich, the defender calmly converted under pressure, surprising many as Ansu Fati—normally first-choice penalty taker—had already been substituted. Monaco boss Adi Hütter praised Dier’s composure, noting that his experience and confidence in training made him the right man to step up.
