Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola refused that beating Real Madrid in the Champions League has been his biggest challenge as Manchester City boss - and instead it was Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

City crashed out of Europe’s elite competition with a 5-1 aggregate loss to Los Blancos in the last 16. Guardiola’s side were also eliminated by Real last season on penalties, as well as in the 2021-22 campaign.

Madrid have been a thorn in the side of City in Europe. But Guardiola says that his battles with Klopp while he was Liverpool manager provided him with the best learning experience of his managerial career.

The Reds and City went toe-to-toe in several Premier League title races, with Klopp ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for an English championship in 2020. Speaking after the Madrid loss, Guardiola said: ‘No, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool was my biggest challenge.

“You almost don’t realise what it was like to face Liverpool. Those games were a great learning experience for the team, because to play a team like us who had not been in the competition 12 or 13 years ago, and the generation we had, they had won those games sometimes, Real Madrid have beaten us, we’ve won some, we’ve had great times as well, but I think the teams we’ve played against also know they’ve played us too.”

Guardiola failed to beat Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield in front of fans as Manchester City boss. He finally achieved the feat at the Reds’ famous stadium with supporters inside L4 earlier this season when City earned a 2-1 win over Arne Slot’s outfit.

“It’s so difficult. Anfield is Anfield,” said the former Barcelona chief. “The tradition, the history, the crowd. It looks smaller, tighter, the pitch does not look the size of the Etihad.

“The players they have and everything. Of course we would be disappointed [if we lost] and the questions would be it’s over. Six is better than nine but it’s still a lot considering Arsenal and how strong they are in all departments.”