Madrid – Pep Guardiola and Manchester City face a monumental task at the Bernabeu Stadium as they attempt to overcome a 3-2 deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff.
Guardiola, who has experienced every possible emotion in this iconic stadium with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, acknowledges the difficulty of the challenge.
He has even gone so far as to suggest City’s chances of progressing are as low as “1%,” a sentiment seemingly echoed by locals familiar with Real Madrid’s history of Champions League triumphs.
Guardiola’s message ahead of the game is clear: City must play a “perfect game.” “We have to attack. We have to score goals. This is the idea,” he stated. He emphasized the need for courage and a fearless approach, saying, “We must play with courage. We must be ourselves. It will need incredible courage and we must play to win.”
While acknowledging the possibility of defeat, Guardiola insists City must leave the Bernabeu without regrets, having given their all. He stressed the importance of playing exceptionally well, especially considering the first-leg result.
While Opta statistics give City slightly higher odds of 19.8%, the historical context of Real Madrid’s dominance in the competition and their ability to perform under pressure cannot be ignored.
