Mansion Sports – Pep Guardiola revealed that he will send a message of gratitude to his former rival from the El Clasico stage, Jose Mourinho.

The two highly decorated managers were once on opposite sides of the fierce rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Now, they are at Manchester City and Benfica respectively, with both enjoying positive campaigns in the 2025–26 Champions League season.

Champions League Round of 16: Automatic Qualification for Man City

Manchester City managed to progress directly to the Champions League round of 16 after securing a top-eight finish in the league phase.

Meanwhile, Benfica must prepare for the play-off round after narrowly slipping into the top 24.

Mourinho’s squad had been on the brink of elimination as time was running out in a dramatic match against La Liga giants Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz.

However, a stunning moment occurred in the 98th minute that was celebrated enthusiastically in both Lisbon and Manchester.

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a remarkable headed goal in stoppage time that restored his team’s advantage over Marseille and kept their hopes alive in European competition.

That goal also crushed Real Madrid’s chances of mounting a comeback that could have seen them equalise and push Manchester City out of the top eight.

Guardiola Expresses Gratitude for Mourinho’s Genius Move

Guardiola was among those watching the match from afar, after his own team recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory over Galatasaray.

He admitted that he felt tense at the Etihad Stadium before Mourinho once again demonstrated his tactical intelligence.

Guardiola said, “We were all watching and at first we did not know that Benfica needed one goal to qualify. When the goalkeeper went forward, we were asking ourselves, ‘why is he going up?’ because Madrid could have equalised and we would have been eliminated. But it turned out to be the right strategy from Jose to score the fourth goal.”

After Manchester City avoided the need to play a two-legged play-off, amid a congested schedule due to still competing in four competitions, Guardiola added when asked whether he would send a message of thanks to Mourinho, “Yes, of course.”

Injury Concerns: Doku Added to the Treatment List

Behind the positive atmosphere in the City camp following a successful European night, they must cope with the loss of speedy winger Jeremy Doku, who suffered a calf injury against Galatasaray.

Manchester City have already endured an injury crisis in defence this season, while during the January transfer window they also spent heavily to strengthen the squad by signing Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.

Guardiola expressed satisfaction with his team’s progress, with City still in contention for European glory while continuing to compete in domestic competitions such as the Premier League, the Carabao Cup, and the FA Cup.

The Catalan coach added, “I am very happy to finish in the top eight considering how the Champions League is now. When I started 16 or 17 years ago, this competition was very different. Now, every team is really strong. I am very happy that we do not have to play in the play-off round and I hope we can arrive in March in the best possible condition.”

Manchester City Schedule 2025–26: Major Matches Continue to Await

Erling Haaland, who had previously gone five matches without scoring, along with Rayan Cherki, were on the scoresheet for City against Galatasaray.

Cherki told TNT Sports before automatic qualification to the round of 16 was confirmed, “We are very proud because Galatasaray are a very good team. We played well and won, that was very important for us and now we are waiting for the other results.”

Cherki also praised Guardiola’s ability to rotate players without sacrificing results, saying, “All the players like this system because many players can be involved in the game, and that is very good for us.”

Big matches will continue to await Manchester City, meaning that high standards must be maintained.

They will return to Premier League action on Sunday with an away trip to Tottenham, a venue that has not always been friendly territory for Guardiola.

After that, City are scheduled to face Newcastle in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, holding a 2-0 aggregate advantage, before travelling to Anfield for a crucial match against Liverpool.