Before the rematch in the second leg of the Champions League play-off round, coach Pep Guardiola admitted that the possibility of Man City defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu only about 1%.
Man City is facing a great challenge in the Champions League play-off this season after losing to Real Madrid in the first leg at home to Etihad. With the second leg of the match at the Bernabeu, the opportunity for Man City to come back and forth is extremely difficult.
Before the match, coach Pep Guardiola said: “There are many matches we do not play at the level that Man City wants and finally lose. The problem is not only 3 points but also psychological effects on the next match. That happened many times this season. The Newcastle victory helps our psychology to be comfortable.
But to overcome Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, we went there with the winning rate of only 1%. I am not very clear but the number is certainly very small. Even so, even if the opportunity is not too big, Man City will try. We will play like what we still do. The truth is that we have decided this season.
Obviously, Man City has very bad performances and results this season. Of course, it would be better to march to Madrid after having a victory over the weekend. ”
Besides, Pep Guardiola hopes Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias will be healthy enough to confront Real Madrid. The couple sat out in Man City’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle recently. Remember that in that victory, Man City ranked the pair of Abdukodir Khusanov and John Stones in the center of the defense. Akanji alone had to sit for 2 months.
Good news for Guardiola when the duo impresses and the Spanish tactician does not exclude the possibility of continuing to use them for the upcoming competition with Real Madrid: “I hope they (Akanji and Ake) will Be healthy enough to confront Real Madrid.
Dias said that I was not ready to play for 90 minutes and Nathan Ake had a problem after the match against Real in the first leg, so both were not ready to play in the upcoming competition, ”Guardiola emphasized.