Pep Guardiola admitted on Tuesday that he was playing mind games when he claimed Manchester City had only a “one percent” chance of overturning Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16 tie.
“I lied about the one percent chance. For the first time, I lied,” Guardiola said with a grin. “After the 2-3, nobody gave a penny for us. It’s not the best result, but we can do it.”
City trails after a late collapse saw Real win 3-2 at the Etihad in the first leg. Ahead of the return leg in Madrid, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti joked that not even Guardiola believed his downbeat forecast.
Guardiola, familiar with the Bernabeu’s intensity, acknowledged the challenge: “Never has been easy… You have to make an almost perfect game.”
City was boosted by Erling Haaland’s return to training after his knee injury scare against Newcastle. Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Jack Grealish also trained, but Guardiola remained cautious: “They travelled. We will see tomorrow, but it is good news they are here.”
Midfielder Bernardo Silva reflected on City’s struggles earlier in the tournament but said the team was regaining confidence: “I do think that the team is in a better moment now. Still not perfect, but we’re not in the same dark place.”
With City needing a strong performance, Guardiola’s side faces a tough test against the 15-time Champions League winner at the Bernabeu.
