Ilkay Gundogan says there was some frustration at not beating Shakhtar Donetsk.
“It’s very good [qualifying for the knock-out stages]. We didn’t leave for the last game of the group stages. It’s a very good feeling to having secured the first position of the group. We are very happy about it. Even though there are plenty of things to improve in our performance, both defensively and offensively.
“The main thing today was to get the group done and secure the first position. That’s what we did so it’s really good for us.
“We didn’t do all the things right. We struggle a little bit in some areas and, this is the Champions League, it’s a very competitive competition. All the teams can play very good football and Shakhtar played quite well today.
“We also let them play, we gave them the spaces to play. That shows that, if we don’t reach your best level, even if you are a top
team, you are going to struggle in this competition. We need to learn from it. Fortunately, the result didn’t mean a negative outcome for us, but we need to be aware that in this competition it will get even more difficult, especially in the knock-out stages. It’s important to learn from this kind of games, because it makes you also feel prepare for more important games in the future.
“When you want to become a top team and fight in all the competitions, you are not allowed to concede goals in every game. Obviously, with all the injuries we are having, all the changes in the squad, sometimes it’s not easy, but I think there is enough quality in our team, even with the injuries, to be able to play without conceding a goal.
“That should be our target for the next games and, because we are always able to score, I’m sure we can win a lot of games.”
