Pep Guardiola claimed that Manchester City only had a “one percent” chance to beat the powerful Real Madrid in their Champions League shoot-out.
City blew a 2-1 lead in the Etihad Stadium in the last minutes of the first stage of their play-off with the holders and 15 times winners, to lose 3-2 in a dramatic late collapse. Guardiola and his players left that for a huge challenge in the Bernabeu on Wednesday, with the city boss recognizing the scale of the task.
The Hattrick from Omar Marmoush got City on the right track in the Premier League, with a late fourth of replacement James Mcatee, which they move back to the top four. But Guardiola fears the worst for the journey from the city to the Spanish capital to tackle the formidable side of Carlo Ancelotti, despite this moral-enhanced victory over top-four Rivals Newcastle.
“Of course the victory helps us, but the margin to win in the Bernabeu, in that position everyone knows that if you ask before the game, the percentage to continue, I don't know when we arrive, one per per is Cent, “said Guardiola. “It will be minimal, but as much if you have a chance, we will try, that's for sure, you know? So we go there, as always, as we have done, but this season is the reality that we have been miles and miles far away.
“We finished 22nd in the Champions League table, but if we had performed the way we did today, we would of course not have been completed higher.
“But we have been really, really bad in designs and in the results this season and only for one game, today we played very well.
“It is not going to change the opinion, the reality of where the team is now, and we are still not good, in terms of day to day, that is. But of course it is better to travel to Madrid with this result than with a defeat.
“So the chance is small because the result was not good. With five minutes to go, because it is 2-1, it would be different, but losing 3-2, the chances are less, but as much as you have a chance, we will take it, and we will see what's there happens. “
Guardiola hopes to have central defenders Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake back, although there is concern about Star Striker Erling Haaland, who was forced too late with a knee problem.
Guardiola said on Dias and Ake: “Today they were not good. Ruben said: “I am not ready to play for 90 minutes,” and so I wouldn't risk him. Nathan was sick, so both were not ready to play. '
If neither of them is ready to really face, Guardiola has faith in Abdukodir Khusanov, after he had impressed only his second performance, after a difficult debut against Chelsea.
“Everyone knows what happened to Chelsea,” Guardiola said. 'It is not easy to come from Uzbekistan or France here[where Khusanov was playing]. He played again because of the circumstances of Ruben, Nathan and Manuel Akanji and it was really good for him.
“He is extremely fast, his decision -making must improve, but it is a matter of age. The most important thing is that he has really settled well, really. He is so shy, he doesn't talk much, so I think this will help us a lot with him. “
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