Manchester City's players and coaching staff gathered in the dressing room to witness the closing stages of Benfica's thrilling encounter with Real Madrid, with their Champions League fate hanging in the balance.
The tension reached fever pitch when Portuguese side Benfica, leading 3-2, sent Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin into the opposition penalty area during the 98th minute.
City's contingent watched in alarm, fearing that an equaliser from Madrid would knock them out of the top eight.
Their anxiety turned to jubilation when Trubin headed home to make it 4-2, securing City's eighth-place finish and sparing them from February's two-legged playoff round.
Guardiola confessed that confusion reigned among his squad as they observed the dramatic finale unfold in Lisbon, having beaten Galatasaray 2-0 following goals from
"We were all there so we didn't know Benfica needed a goal to qualify so when the goalkeeper goes up, we say, 'why you go?' because Madrid can equalise and we are out," the City manager explained.
Despite the initial panic, Guardiola acknowledged the tactical brilliance of his long-standing rival's decision.
Anatoliy Trubin headed home at the death to keep Benfica in the Champions League | REUTERS"But it was a good strategy for Jose to score the fourth goal, right!" he added.
When asked whether he planned to express his gratitude to Mourinho, Guardiola was unequivocal: "Yeah, of course."
City had already completed their own task on the night, defeating Galatasaray 2-0 at home before turning their attention to events in Portugal.
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Manchester City will be hoping to win the Champions League this season for the second time | GETTY/GBNEWSErling Haaland and Rayan Cherki found the net to secure the victory that kept their top-eight hopes alive.
However, the evening was not without setback for Guardiola's side.
Jérémy Doku, who provided the assists for both goals, was forced to leave the pitch with a calf injury.
The Belgian winger's departure cast a shadow over an otherwise successful evening for the Premier League champions.
Guardiola noted that his team's performance dipped after the interval, stating: "The first half was better than the second half."
The City boss also expressed considerable satisfaction at securing a place among the top eight finishers in the league phase.
Man City beat Galatasaray 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday night
|REUTERS
"Really pleased to finish in the top eight considering how the Champions League has become," he said.
The Catalan coach reflected on how European football's premier club competition has evolved during his managerial career.
"When I started 16 or 17 years ago, the Champions League was another type of competition. Today every team is really, really tough," Guardiola observed.
"I'm really pleased we don't play in the playoff stage and hopefully we can arrive in March [for the last 16] at our best."