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After an inspired 4-0 win over Newcastle, can Real Madrid repeat the feat against Real Madrid?
Manchester City head into their crucial Champions League second leg against Real Madrid with renewed confidence after a 4-0 demolition of Newcastle, fueled by an Omar Marmoush hat-trick.
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However, despite their impressive weekend performance, Pep Guardiola remains cautious as Manchester City get ready to face Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Guardiola admits Manchester City's chances are slim
Manchester City lost 3-2 in the first leg at the Etihad, despite leading twice through Erling Haaland, and now face an uphill battle in Madrid, but Guardiola insists his team will fight until the very end.
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Speaking ahead of the high-stakes clash, Guardiola said, "The margin to win in Bernabeu in that position, everybody knows that if you ask before the game, the percentage to go through, I don’t know, we arrive at one percent, it will be minimal. But as much as you have a chance, we will try, that’s for sure."
Despite their dominant display against Newcastle, the Manchester City boss remains unconvinced that his side is at the level required to take down Madrid, adding, “This season, the reality, we have been miles, miles away.
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“If you tell me, if you perform like [Saturday], we finished 22 in the Champions League, of course not, we would have finished higher. But the reality, we have been really, really poor in performance in the results this season."
Guardiola hoping to avoid biggest downfall against Real Madrid
Guardiola revealed what he believed to be the Cityzens’ biggest downfall, saying, "Just for one game, that today, played really good, and it's not going to change the opinion, the reality, the team, it is right now, and we are still not good in terms of day by day."
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While Manchester City’s form has been a concern, Guardiola did provide some positive news on the fitness of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, both of whom missed the Newcastle game.
Speaking on the possibility of having the key players available, Guardiola said, "I hope so. [On Saturday], they were not good. Ruben said: ‘I'm not ready to play 90 minutes, maybe 15-20’.
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“But having Vitor [Reis] on the bench, I wouldn't risk [it]. Nathan was sick and had problems after the game against Madrid, so both were not ready to play."
With Manchester City's backline set to be reinforced, they will need a near-perfect display to overturn the deficit at the Bernabeu.
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