Champions League 2022: ‘I deserved it’ – Pep Guardiola apologises for yellow card after shouting at referee

Guardiola remonstrated with referee Daniel Orsato after the full-time whistle, with Phil Foden also looking unhappy and gesticulating towards the match official before walking away.

Orsato gave Guardiola a yellow card which led to the City manager hugging the referee as a calmer discussion followed between the pair.

“I deserved it,” said Guardiola. “I apologise to him.”

Two moments of brilliance from John Stones and Erling Haaland saw City come from behind to beat Dortmund after Jude Bellingham opened the scoreline.

It is not the first time City have conceded before going on to win this season, which Guardiola was not pleased about.

“We are used to doing it lately,” he explained. “I don’t like it.

“We played in the wrong gear today. No aggression. We were passive. The moment we changed rhythm with Phil, Bernardo [Silva] and Julian [Alvarez], we changed our pace and scored two excellent goals.

“I am pretty sure the way were playing in the first-half John [Stones] wouldn’t have had the courage to try it [his shot but we had the rhythm and momentum and we said, ‘OK it’s going to happen’. It was exceptional. I am so happy for him.

“They are an exceptional team. We knew it. We weren’t good enough today. At the same time it’s always good to have that resilience, ‘let’s go, let’s go, let’s go’. Having Julian and Erling in the box, having that alternative, it works.”

City are now three points clear of Dortmund in their group, with FC Copenhagen and Sevilla at the bottom on one point each.