Why did Pep Guardiola bench Kevin de Bruyne in the crucial Real Madrid fixture?

Pep Guardiola and his men continue to endure one of the toughest and poorest campaigns across all competitions, and the recent loss to Real Madrid in the playoffs has been particularly difficult to handle. The critics and pundits are out with their pens and books, criticizing every decision made by the manager and players during the game. One such decision was not starting the Belgian veteran, Kevin de Bruyne, in the fixture. However, the Spaniard has come out with an explanation for the same.

Pep Guardiola stated that benching Kevin de Bruyne for the second-leg clash against Los Blancos was a technical decision and also mentioned that the relationship between the two remains exceptional. He also expressed his gratitude for what de Bruyne has done for the side over the years. He said:

De Bruyne didn’t start against Real Madrid as I made a technical decision. He was not injured. My decision. Of course he can still play in big games… he played against Madrid at home, of course he can play. The relationship with Kevin De Bruyne is exceptional. I can't be thankful enough for what he's done for me, the team, everyone.

While also speaking about the decision, Pep mentioned that he doesn’t provide reasons to players about why they did or didn’t start the game. It is purely a decision that he takes, and the decisions are never personal; they are made to meet the demands of the game. He said:

Normally I don't speak with players, not just Kevin, on why they don't play. They don't ask me why when I decide to let them play from the beginning or during. It's just a decision from what I've seen, for many reasons, a few. Never ever is it personal, never ever I'm upset

Will Erling Haaland feature against Liverpool in the weekend's Premier League clash?

Manchester City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, missed the crucial second leg against Real Madrid, which affected the club’s progress in the tournament. The player was not match-fit, ruling him out of the fixture. With Manchester City’s campaign hanging in the balance and a crucial fixture against Liverpool coming up, the Cityzens would want to have the Norwegian striker back in the lineup. When asked about Haaland’s fitness, Pep Guardiola was unsure if he would be available for the game. He said:

I don't know yet. Tomorrow will know it. Maybe [Haaland will be fit], but I don't know. We train today, tomorrow he will test. It is better to have him on the pitch than not have him. We're in the position we're in right now. Everyone is responsible for good and bad things. With Erling we're stronger