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Pep Guardiola downplays Manchester City’s chances ahead of their Champions League return leg against Real Madrid, calling their odds "less than one percent."
Manchester City faces a huge challenge on Wednesday as they travel to the Santiago Bernabéu for the second leg of their Champions League playoff tie against Real Madrid. The Spanish giants stunned City with a dramatic late comeback in the first leg, securing a 3-2 victory at the Etihad and taking a crucial advantage into the return fixture.
With Real Madrid’s lead and home advantage, Pep Guardiola appeared unusually pessimistic in his pre-match press conference.
"Our chances of winning in Madrid are minimal, I think everyone knows that. I don’t know exactly what percentage, but I’d say less than one percent. The first leg didn’t end well for us—we were leading 2-1 with five minutes to go, and we lost 2-3. So our chances are small," Guardiola admitted.
Despite the gloomy outlook, Manchester City heads into the match in strong form, having crushed Newcastle 4-0 in the Premier League over the weekend.
The highly anticipated showdown at the Bernabéu kicks off on Wednesday at 21:00 CET.