Mane scored a superb hat-trick to condemn City to a 4-2 defeat that leaves the Manchester giants looking nervously over their shoulders as they bid to hold onto fourth spot. PHOTO: AFP
The City manager admitted his team’s 4-2 defeat against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium could affect confidence as the Premier League club prepare for the visit to the Santiago Bernabeu.
But Pellegrini, who was frustrated Sunday’s meeting with Southampton was not moved to Friday or Saturday to give his side more time to prepare, insisted he had no choice but to make wholesale changes and protect his key players.
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“We knew before the game it was a risk to put so many players without football against a difficult team but we have to take those risks because we have an important game on Wednesday,” he said. “Maybe if we had played on Saturday we could put more players but it was a risk similar to the FA Cup that we had to play.”
Pellegrini admitted the result may have an adverse effect on tomorrow’s clash. “I always say the best way to prepare the next game is to win and that’s why we did so well before Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, we won our games before in the Premier League,” he said.
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The Chilean made no attempts to disguise his disappointment at his side’s defensive display as Sadio Mane’s hat-trick following an opening goal from Shane Long secured Southampton’s victory.
“I don’t know why we defended so poorly in the first half; those were the two goals that decided the game,” he said. “We scored one goal, we had another clear chance to equalise but we didn’t and after that the set pieces decided the game.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2016.
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