Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has downplayed his team’s chances of progressing past Real Madrid in their Champions League play-off second leg on Wednesday, admitting they have just a “one per cent” chance of overturning the deficit.
City suffered a 3-2 home defeat in the first leg, surrendering a 2-1 lead with just four minutes remaining. Now, they face the daunting task of winning at the Bernabéu, a stadium where Madrid thrives in European competition.
“The margin to win at the Bernabéu from that position, everybody knows, is minimal,” Guardiola said. “We arrive at one per cent. Or I don’t know what, but it will be minimal.”
Despite City’s Premier League resurgence, including a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle at the weekend, Guardiola insists that their overall season has been far below expectations.
“This season, the reality is we have been miles away,” he admitted. “We have been really, really poor in performances and results.”
Still, City will attempt to defy the odds in Madrid, hoping to produce a European masterclass and keep their Champions League dreams alive.
